Flooring Deep litter method

[ZANEYchickenguy]

Hello,
I have a plywood floor that I need to be waterproof for the deep litter method? What type of rubber paint do I use?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Is this for the coop? BlackJack 57 is the rubberized paint some of us use, however true deep litter isn't well suited for a coop with a wood (or otherwise) floor. It benefits from direct contact with the ground and moisture in order to compost properly.

Either rethink having a floor at all, if you're set on deep litter, or rethink deep litter, if set on having a floor.

 

[3KillerBs]

Either rethink having a floor at all, if you're set on deep litter, or rethink deep litter, if set on having a floor.

Yes. This.

To elaborate,

Deep Bedding is a dry system that works well in a coop with a floor. For this you simply add more and more bedding on top of the old as needed without cleaning it out until it gets inconveniently deep or the poop to shavings ratio gets unacceptably high.

It needs to be stirred up regularly, which is most easily accomplished by tossing a handful of scratch into the bedding a couple times a week and letting the chickens do the work. Sometimes, however, it's necessary to use your manure fork to break up crusted areas.

Deep Litter is a moist (not wet, moist), composting system where composting bacteria and organisms digest poop and litter together. It benefits from ground contact both to regulate the necessary moisture and to seed the litter with the necessary bacteria.

The composting process will also digest any structural wood it contacts. This is much more easily used in the run than in the coop and requires you to maintain a balance between the high nitrogen chicken poop and the high carbon bedding.

It never really *needs* to be cleaned out unless it gets too deep and starts flowing over the sills or you want the compost for your garden.

Either method needs you to build your coop with the eventual depth of bedding/litter in mind so that you can have enough depth of material without it blocking doors, invading nestboxes, etc. and so that you are prepared to raise feeders/waterers as the level of the surface the chickens are walking on rises.

 

[MissE]

I found a roll of clearance vinyl flooring. It's a pretty barn wood pattern. My husband jokes that they have a nicer floor than we do (we are still finishing our place and flooring will be one of the last things installed). I use the deep litter method, but really it just freezes solid this time of year. Clean up is a breeze and no wet wood to deal with. The walls are dairy board, and the flooring goes 6 inches up the wall. I may replace the dairy board with more vinyl since it's so easy to clean.

 

[aart]

The walls are dairy board, and the flooring goes 6 inches up the wall. I may replace the dairy board with more vinyl since it's so easy to clean.

Unless the dairy board is failing somehow, it's much better for walls than vinyl would be.
Vinyl may sag and buckle where dairy board is stiff.

 

[MissE]

Unless the dairy board is failing somehow, it's much better for walls than vinyl would be.
Vinyl may sag and buckle where dairy board is stiff.

It's got some cracks in it. Wasn't really meant to be put in with roofing nails, but it was below freezing at the time and it was directly over the insulation, so glue wasn't an option. The flooring was installed with roofing nails too, but that was over pressure treated plywood and I was careful to not dimple it when nailing. I'm worried about moisture getting into the insulation over time. This will be the second winter, so I will assess any damage in the spring when things thaw. It was fine last year, and I have good ventilation, so fingers crossed.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

I found a roll of clearance vinyl flooring. It's a pretty barn wood pattern. My husband jokes that they have a nicer floor than we do (we are still finishing our place and flooring will be one of the last things installed). I use the deep litter method, but really it just freezes solid this time of year. Clean up is a breeze and no wet wood to deal with. The walls are dairy board, and the flooring goes 6 inches up the wall. I may replace the dairy board with more vinyl since it's so easy to clean.

So I know this is a REALLY late response but new…forgive me. I’m looking into doing the deep litter method. I have a plywood flooring that I have vinyl that I want to put in it to protect the flooring. BUT I have read that chickens will “eat” the vinyl and it’s obviously harmful. Have you had any of those problems?