Deep litter....

[Sussex19]

It's not actually 'composting', it's just drying out.

It does actually compost a bit, not as in the hole thing turning in to compost ready to put on plants, but where there's most manure it definitely does a bit.

 

[Sussex19]

dry system like that would be considered Deep Bedding, rather than Deep Litter, which is a moist, actively composting system.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-deep-bedding-in-a-small-coop.76343/

Interesting article, the thing is I'm not turning the litter, so it's not quite the same.
It is quite close though.

 

[3KillerBs]

Interesting article, the thing is I'm not turning the litter, so it's not quite the same.
It is quite close though.

I usually find that my birds turn the bedding so I don't have to do it myself.

They're champion diggers.

 

[Sussex19]

I usually find that my birds turn the bedding so I don't have to do it myself.

They're champion diggers.

For some reason ours just about never scratch or dig in the coop, it's always been like that so I think they just can't be bothered!

 

[aart]

For some reason ours just about never scratch or dig in the coop, it's always been like that so I think they just can't be bothered!

Toss a handful of scratch grains or BOSS(Black Oil Sunflower Seeds) in there,
that'll get them going.

 

[Sussex19]

Toss a handful of scratch grains or BOSS(Black Oil Sunflower Seeds) in there,
that'll get them going

I kind of thought that it might be healthier for them not to?
With dust (and it is dust reduced shavings but it still gets a bit dusty) and manure it don't seem the best spot to be eating ones lunch.

 

[NatJ]

I kind of thought that it might be healthier for them not to?
With dust (and it is dust reduced shavings but it still gets a bit dusty) and manure it don't seem the best spot to be eating ones lunch.

It doesn't usually seem to be a problem for chickens.

But if you already have a method that works well, there is no need to change it unless you want to.

 

[Sussex19]

It doesn't usually seem to be a problem for chickens.

Well thats good to now anyway, I've always been slightly worried about spilling food in there!

 

[Jerhanner]

So I've got slightly confused with deep litter systems; our coop is raised of the ground and has a wooden floor.
So far what I've been doing is putting a thin layer of wood shavings down, and then every couple of days adding another layer over the poop.
I don't turn it and neither do the chickens, so it just stays in the layers composting slightly until it gets cleaned out.
As I understand it this isn't typical deep litter as it doesn't get turned.
Is there any problem doing it this way?
It seems to work well for me, so unless there's any real problem with it I'll probably keep doing it.

That's exactly what I've been doing for 2 winters now. I just stuck an extra vent at the top to make sure. I'll stop cleaning in about 3 weeks (I'm in upstate New York) and just let it go until spring.

 

[Jerhanner]

That's basically what I do with mine. Used to stir it up with a little rake but didn't notice any difference. Now that hens are older almost 2 years old now.and they poop mostly while sleeping I do scoop up those under their roost once a week or so. My bedding lasted almost a year. I finally changed it out once I found out thier inside waterer had leaked and found bedding had got wet . I love this method and I have raised coop also.
I've now got a poop box/ catcher of sorts to catch the stuff they used to lay in a line under roosts.

I got a plastic boot tray and stuck that under the perch. Sooo much easier.