Deep litter with hardware cloth floor

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hi all, just finished our coop and due to some conflicting advice, we ended up installing a hardware cloth floor inside the coop (coop is raised off the ground about 2 feet). However, I had wanted to use the deep litter method in the coop, and in fact just came home with a couple of bales of hemp bedding that I got a really good deal on. But, now I fear the two are incompatible. The hemp bedding is too fine and falls right through the cloth. I’m thinking, however, that maybe I can work with this problem and not against it. I’m new at this, so here’s my proposed solution, on which I’d love your thoughts or feedback:
I’ll lay down a couple of inches of straw on top of the hardware cloth. Some will fall through, but it’ll create enough of a bedding that I can then add the hemp bedding on top. Proceeding with the deep litter method, I’ll add more hemp bedding periodically. Some will continue to fall through, but will also begins the deep bedding process in the part of the run below the coop. Maybe (I hope) the added ventilation of the hardware cloth floor will aid in decomposition and perhaps also help with odor and cleanliness. What say you, experienced deep litterers?

 

[paneubert]

What size hardware cloth? I would almost be convinced that adding another slightly offset later of hardware cloth would be a good idea. Make the holes in the floor that much smaller.

 

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What size hardware cloth? I would almost be convinced that adding another slightly offset later of hardware cloth would be a good idea. Make the holes in the floor that much smaller.

Hmm, interesting idea! It’s 1/2 inch hardware cloth now.

 

[Chad Oftedal]

Is your ventilation already limited in the coop? Maybe a few pictures would help for folks to get a complete picture. If you have enough ventilation already, or could add more, I think if it were me, I'd just make the floor solid (vinyl over the top of the hc?) and go that route. The very brief searching I did on a hardware cloth floor - it doesn't seem to make life easier for the keeper. Granted, I just glanced at other threads, and it may indeed work for you, but if you can cover ventilation without having to have the open floor, I think you'd be much happier having it solid.

 

[icon index]

Is your ventilation already limited in the coop? Maybe a few pictures would help for folks to get a complete picture. If you have enough ventilation already, or could add more, I think if it were me, I'd just make the floor solid (vinyl over the top of the hc?) and go that route. The very brief searching I did on a hardware cloth floor - it doesn't seem to make life easier for the keeper. Granted, I just glanced at other threads, and it may indeed work for you, but if you can cover ventilation without having to have the open floor, I think you'd be much happier having it solid.

Thanks! There is plenty of other ventilation in the coop. So what I’m hearing is that there isn’t anything to potentially be gained by having the hardware cloth kind of ‘sift’ the broken down layers of litter into the ground below?

 

[Chad Oftedal]

Thanks! There is plenty of other ventilation in the coop. So what I’m hearing is that there isn’t anything to potentially be gained by having the hardware cloth kind of ‘sift’ the broken down layers of litter into the ground below?

Correct. From what I saw, 1/2” was too small and clogs up. Then poo sticks to the cloth and makes it harder to clean because you have to scrub and work it off. I’m just going off of what I read, but I can see 1/2” being pretty small based on the droppings that my 12 week birds are putting out.

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!

How big is your coop?
Can be hard to do a true deep litter in a raised coop.

What is your location/climate?
Adding your location to your profile is easy, then it's always there!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yeah I wouldn't do deep litter inside a raised coop, as moisture is a component as well. Deep bedding is about as good as it'll get. I agree with Chad that the prospect of poop getting stuck in the wire mesh is not something you want to deal with - adult chickens can generate poop the size of a small egg... imagine that getting smashed down into the mesh. Perhaps you can install some sort of flooring over the wire? Or layer the bedding super deep and hopefully the chickens don't turn it over too much so that the poop doesn't get to the bottom layer. You can then scrape that out into the run and do deep litter in the run.

 

[blackdog043]

I would cover the hardware cloth with wood and be done. Then do deep bedding, not litter inside the coop. If you keep the HWC, as the chickens scratch and possibly damage there feet or nails plus make the bedding fall through and the poop get stuck in the wire, it wouldn't be much fun. IMO

 

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Thanks all! Ok so I’m in Virginia. My coop is about 6x6’ and I’ve got 5 birds. So far, since I needed to get the coop ready for them before I had time to install a floor, I’ve put a thick layer of straw covered by a thick layer of hemp bedding. We will see how it goes, but I think it’s likely that the first time we clean it out we may just go ahead and add a floor. Can someone please describe the difference between deep litter and deep bedding? Also, why not do deep litter with a raised coop? Because of issues with coop rotting?