Deep litter question

[poultrygeist]

I also covered the floor with heavy construction plastic and when cleaning time comes, up comes the plastic and all the goo! The DE also helps dry out the goo. Just don't let it get wet, pee-u!

 

[trilyn]

Quote:
Are you crazy?
Probably, since you have chickens; however, I have tarps on all my coop floors, and when I want to clean, all I have to do is remove the screws and fender washers that hole the tarps up the sides about eight inches, wrap up the old wood shavings in it and drag it out to compost.

Not to hijack this thread, but I did the tarp too and love it! Cheaper than buying linoleum and you can definitely pull it right out of the coop-no wheelbarrow!! Love that-but what I love more is your idea of the screws and fender washers!! Darn it all-I wish we would've thought of that, I think our brains were fried at that point in the coop building process. Oh well, I will definitely do that when we do the old clean out come spring! Great idea!

 

[AussieAcres]

This is why I started the thread, getting more ideas now. Thanks to everyone for the input. I too like the tarp idea. people who have done it before, find ways to do it easier...best to learn from them ...or their mistakes!

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

Quote:
Are you crazy?
Probably, since you have chickens; however, I have tarps on all my coop floors, and when I want to clean, all I have to do is remove the screws and fender washers that hole the tarps up the sides about eight inches, wrap up the old wood shavings in it and drag it out to compost.

Yes, I'm getting good ideas off this thread as well. How do you keep the litter from getting over the eight inch top edge and behind the tarp. How close do you have the washers and screws. Our hens take dust bath in the shavings all the time and push shavings up the walls. I have to rake them down and spread out again. Our shavings stay really dry and never pack down.

Sandee

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
Are you crazy?
Probably, since you have chickens; however, I have tarps on all my coop floors, and when I want to clean, all I have to do is remove the screws and fender washers that hole the tarps up the sides about eight inches, wrap up the old wood shavings in it and drag it out to compost.

Yes, I'm getting good ideas off this thread as well. How do you keep the litter from getting over the eight inch top edge and behind the tarp. How close do you have the washers and screws. Our hens take dust bath in the shavings all the time and push shavings up the walls. I have to rake them down and spread out again. Our shavings stay really dry and never pack down.

Sandee

I put the screws/fender washers close enough that the tarp's sides are stretched tight. In spite of this, a few wood shavings get in and behind it when the chickens are vigorously scratching for bird seed that I throw in daily. They're no big deal though; when I remove the tarp, I sweep them into a dustpan.