DLM - Am I doing it right??

[Picky Chicky]

(Mods if I put this in the wrong place, pls feel free to move it)

I'm doing the deep litter method and I'm wondering if I'm doing it wrong.

When the litter looks a little extra pooped on, I'll distribute a couple handfuls of food grade DE over the litter, and then add fresh pine shaving litter ontop. I freshen the hay as well.

Now if the above is correct, then I'm glad I'm doing it right... BUT

It feels like I'm adding fresh litter to the existing litter once every other day. At that rate I'll be going through pine shavings really fast and I might bury my girls! (Doubtful) hehe

Suggestions?

 

[Chicabee19]

Are you stirring and shaking it up it with a hoe, rake or pitchfork before adding the new DE and shavings?

 

[Picky Chicky]

Quote:
Umm.. no. That sounds like something I should be doing?

Where's the I'm embarassed smiley?

 

[Chirpy]

You probably don't need to add DE and pine shavings so often. If you can smell it, then you need to do it more often. Does that make sense? You can 'let it go' until you start to smell the chickens, then add pine shavings and DE. Keep track for the first time that you do that so if you smelled it ten days after adding stuff then you might want to put yourself on an 8 day schedule of adding more.

It certainly makes a difference if you live in a wet climate or a dry climate. People in wet, humid climates have to add shavings far more often than those of us in dry climates.

You can also throw down some treats on the pine shavings and the chickens will help you turn it over while scratching for those treats.

 

[Picky Chicky]

Quote:
Thanks so much! I was wondering if it'd be OK to throw some treats on their shavings in the coop.

I'll also start keeping track of how long it is until I smell them - but yep that made complete sense.

 

[cmom]

I throw treats such as scratch and sunflower seed in the litter and they scratch around and mix it up with the DE.

 

[cthrash1]

I have noticed too that it always smells worse in the mornings but within a couple hours of them being out it clears up. I have shuffled mine about once a week and just now a month after it's initial full Fall cleaning I added another big bag of shavings yesterday.