deep litter question

[thedeacon]

This cold winter the chicks stayed inside most of the time. They poop alot. Even though you use deep liter it probable doesn't stay dry. It may freeze and appear dry but as soon as it warms up some I bet the litter is wet. Try removing the existing wet, poopy and dirty liter and replace with dry and clean.

 

[gsim]

I love the deep -litter method. I have 24 chooks in an 8 x 16 coop. I use grass-clippings only for litter, and love them. Free too. Same for nests.

I did not hear you mention having a poop plank, so that and lack of proper ventilation is what I think is happening in your coop. You need to fix it asap or face possible lung disorders with your flock. Make poop planks of 1/2" OSB and glue vinyl on top of that. Make them 24" wide and full length of the roost poles. If not set so, reset your roost pole to where it is 12" from wall and that will put it dead-center over the poop plank. Scrape the plank daily

to prevent ammonia and humidity buildup. I do and put it on my garden. I use an 8" stainless steel drywall finishing knife and a square plastic bin with lid.

I can shut my 4 windows and all doors up at night and my ventilation takes care of fumes until AM when I go out to do coop chores. Reason is I have 1 sq ft permanent full-time ventilation for each 4 chickens. It is all overhead above tops of walls. I have continuous soffit full length 18 ft/side, two gable vents of 1 sq ft each, and a 16" turbine vent on top. I have same litter in coop since July and it does not stink even with 24 chooks. The ventilation and the poop planks are why.