Does anyone not deep litter method???

[nuttyredhead]

Im just wondering if anyone doesnt use the deep litter method for the winter? I did it last year with my old flock and Im not sure i want to do it again.

 

[silkielover5]

i dont my coop gets cleaned every month in the summer then i do it right before winter, sometime in the middle, and as soon as the snow begins to melt. i use heatlamps and my coop is insulated it works pretty well

 

[BCchick]

Trying it this year for the first time and I already don't like it. It's nasty. Gave the coop an entire thorough cleaning back in October to get ready for winter. We use straw and rake it around turning it daily. It just is not drying out well enough during the day and it really stinks. The summer was so hot and dry, it was fine. Everything was bone dry and no smell. But since Fall, it's gross.
Going to have to do a thorough cleaning again next week. I can't imagine how it works that some people only clean once or twice per year. I do have two ducks sharing the coop with the chickens, so perhaps that's part of the problem, but I still can't imagine this working well even without the ducks, considering how much poop 22 hens make on their own.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I don't either. I rake under the roosts every day, the rest of the coop is bedded with a thin layer of pine shavings and stays pretty clean. I just gently rake feathers and obvious poop off the top and strip it out completely when the shavings are about gone.

 

[Kevin565]

Im looking into it but dont right now.

 

[Twiggers96]

I am so thankful for this recent thread!

I went from a mere 6 chicken flock to 25 (22 of them are now 6 week old chicks) and half are kept in one horse
stall and the other half in another horse stall. I let them out of the stalls in the daytime but am still keeping them
in the barn for their safety.

It is REALLY starting to smell unhealthy in there (for me to breathe) and was debating on whether to start the deep litter method or not.
I think I will layer some pine shaving and lightly rake daily as the person above me mentioned.

 

[littleflocker]

I just say NO to dlm

 

[urban escapee]

I use sand in the bottom of the coop, its pretty warm in South Texas, and on the coldest nights I use a heat lamp. Scoop it with a litter scoop for a few minutes in the morning and a thorough shifting every other week. No smell. BUT I dont have a wood floor under the sand either, it is straight dirt under it, so things drain down pretty good.

 

[Caat]

I don't either, I clean it every 2 months October - April. in the summer I clean it every 2-3 weeks

 

[Illia]

I don't. But that's because it rains so darn much here that it would cost me a LOT and I mean a LOT of money to replace all that bedding each week or each few days.