Deep Litter

[chasiekitten12]

How deep will your deep litter get if you clean it once every year. Every 6 months? Every 4 months? What is your experiance with deep litter? Thanks in advance! Any advice appreciated!

 

[JackE]

I use pine shavings, in what I would guess you could call a modified deep litter system. To have a true composting deep litter, you need to have a dirt floor, and my coop has a wood floor. But the shavings still break down. But probably not as good as they would with a dirt floor. And I'll add a big bag of shavings as needed. I usually clean my coop out every 6 months. Under the roost area, there will be around a foot, to a foot and a half, that I'll shovel out of there, and move to the compost heap, for eventual use in the garden.

 

[LakeMomNY]

I would say it depends on how many chickens you have in how much space and how often they are out of the coop...

My 8 hens have about 148 square feet in their coop and run (I use deep litter in both and it is a predator safe, covered run, so they have access to it 24/7.)

My hens free range for several hours most days.

At 7 months I have less than 6 inches built up. (Mostly leaves in the run, mostly pine shavings in the coop.)

A clean smelling coop is VERY high on my priority list, as I have a very strong aversion to odors. As a result I add bedding regularly and probably more than I absolutely need to. Still, due to compaction and breakdown I doubt I will have more than 8 inches at 12 months.

 

[chasiekitten12]

How often do you add shavings?

 

[chasiekitten12]

6 hens and a 5 by 5 coop.

 

[LakeMomNY]

I add about a bag a month.

8 hens, coop area is about 36 square feet.

In the 112ish square foot run I add leaves, clippings, etc as I have them. Will be adding a LOT of leaves to the run this afternoon, but they'll get compacted quickly.

When pine savings get really deep I pull some down into the run to get mixed in with the leaves, etc. I could probably get away with letting 6 weeks go by between bags of shavings, but it is easier for me to budget, plan, and remember 1 bag a month.

 

[JackE]

I'll throw a bag in, if I start seeing the floor. Could be a couple of months or so between additions. I am on no kind of schedule.