DLM in the run

[tjmings]

I have read a lot about using deep litter method in the coop and I'm not sure if coop includes run? We have a new coop/run which is on dirt. After they have torn up the dirt I figured we would put some pine bark down. Should I keep deep litter in the run and coop? Our run is fairly small at the moment but we are in the process of creating an expansion. Wondering if I need to put several inches of pine bark down in the entire run and then just keep adding to it and stirring it up. Do I do the same in the coop? Or do I keep the coop fairly clean and toss the litter into the run? Thanks for the input!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I only do deep litter in my Bantam run, it keeps it well drained and there's no smell. Pine bark might take a while to break down, I use thin layers of grass clippings, fall leaves, shavings from the coop, hay, a bit of spent mulch, and food scraps. That's how I do it, sometimes I dig and turn it, mostly the chickens do it. I have concrete floors in my coop because we get rats and it helps slow them down, plus I didn't like it inside the coop, I preferred cleaning it when it is needed.

 

[Bugseye]

I'm thinking, though, that the dirt in there must be high in nitrogen and hoping to find a way to get some out without breaking my back.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It is, that's why I do deep litter in the run, I harvest some out in the fall before I add my leaves and hay, it's nice soil amendments for my garden beds or my potted plants. It will be really hard to break up the initial soil and you will remove all the bugs and bacteria that will do the work for you.

 

[tjmings]

My run has dirt floors so I'm assuming I will need to add something to it so it doesn't become a mud pit. The run is covered so it will be protected from the elements for the most part. Do people typically put some kind of bedding in the run or just leave it dirt? Not sure what will be the easiest to clean and the best for the chickens.

 

[Blooie]

I also do deep litter in the run and haven't regretted that decision for one minute.

 

[RonP]

My run has dirt floors so I'm assuming I will need to add something to it so it doesn't become a mud pit. The run is covered so it will be protected from the elements for the most part. Do people typically put some kind of bedding in the run or just leave it dirt? Not sure what will be the easiest to clean and the best for the chickens.

Started my run with 12-18 inches of free wood chips.

Birds and I both love it.