for those that use deep litter method...please advise me

[clairabean]

Our coop floor is wooden planks on dirt. I have been using DLM for years and it works great. The floor stays dry, so there is no rot or smell. I shovel it away from the corners every few weeks to allow air to circulate- the chickens scratch it back in the corners by the end of the day.

 

[Tracydr]

I was wondering about problems with mites. Does the deep litter give a good place for mites to hide and reproduce, even with the DE? Anybody notice more or less mite problems since starting?

 

[pipsqueekPDX]

Do you all have the same litter material in the hen house and the run? I have three chickens in a small covered coop/run in my backyard. It seems that folks like using pine shavings, but no one has said whether they put the shavings in the run area as well. I saw some folks worrying about the chickens knocking the shavings out of the coop into the run, which made me think their run was bare ground. I saw others saying they put sand in the outdoor run. I also read somewhere that the chickens are more likely to mix the bedding in the run than the henhouse, which made it seem like this person put shavings in their run. I live in Portland, Oregon, so it rains a lot, but my run is covered. At this point I'm thinking I'm going to do deep litter in both the henhouse and the run using pine shavings. How does this sound? Any reason not to do this? Any better plans for me? Thanks

 

[Beekissed]

In the run, you might have better luck using the bark mulch, as I can see your pine shavings getting scratched right out between the fencing holes. The larger pieces of bark can be scratched to one side but are too large to fly through the air and out of the fencing holes, I would imagine. I wouldn't used deep anything in a run...just the bark to provide drier footing and something to do.

 

[Crazy4mypeeps]

I read on here that using ashes from your fireplace can help control moisture and pests in the coop. We moved the chickens into the coop in May. I have yet to remove any litter from it, and it is about 7" now, as I just added another inch to the floor. I also took the bucket of ashes out and mixed them in really good.

My husband was wanting to clean the whole thing out and dispose of the litter and put it fresh, but I convinced him that DLM will provide heat for them with the natural composting during the winter. LOL

I've sealed up all the areas that would cause drafts on the chickens, and insulated the roof to keep heat in as much as possible. I have two vents in each end gable, which should provide enough ventilation. I'm wanting to add a coupla to the top eventually, but just not sure that I will have the time to get it done this year.

So my question is, at what humidity level is the danger of frostbite more prevalent? I added a simple thermometer with a humidity meter to the coop this last week, and its running at about 65% humidity. The coop was about 35* this morning when I let them out. Yet my litter is very dry, and I do not used poop boards so all droppings just get mixed into the litter.

We just came out of a really humid summer here, so I suspect that the humidity will drop from where it is now, as the cold air from the north moves in, but I want to make sure that I've got the right level in the coop for the girls.

Any suggestions???

 

[gale65]

I was wondering this too, and found this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=408023

 

[Crazy4mypeeps]

Quote:
Thank you! That helps a lot.

 

[begbfg]

I use the deep litter method, also. I love it!! I only clean out the coop twice a year which works great with my schedule. I use pine shavings and mix it with DE. The chickens stir everything up on their own so I don't have to stir it myself (too often, anyway!). The only area I clean on a regular basis is the laying boxes and that only takes about 20 minutes a week. When it is time to clean out the coop, the shavings/poo go into the compost pile and I use a DE whitewash with a splash of hydrogen peroxide to "sterilize" the coop.

 

[Liberty Hill Hen]

Hi RR,
First of all, your coop and run look great. I've been doing the deep litter thing for seven years now with great success. I'm pretty lazy, so it started out kind of accidentally, but then I started reading about it and discovered I was following an actual "method". My coop has a wooden floor which I had painted with deck paint and when I scrape down and take a look at it, it looks as good as new. I use pine shavings just because that is what is readily available. I'm not trying to make compost, but when I remove some well-used litter I put it around a tree or plant that I'm particularly fond of. It doesn't seem to hurt it any. I have never completely cleaned out the coop. I just shove the litter around and add more when it starts looking thin and scoop out the heavily used areas like under the roosts when I feel like it. I've never had a fly problem or any illness or odor. When I get a little whiff of an odor (like ammonia) I scoop out heavily used litter and throw in a bunch of fresh litter on top. I've only had the ammonia odor happen a couple of times when it was cold and wet out. I think dryness and not overcrowding the hens are the main keys to my success... or maybe I've just been lucky. Not scientific, I'm sure, but it has worked for me. Good luck - you've been working way too hard!!
After reading all the posts about this, I've gotten some good ideas, which I appreciate. One of them reminded me to throw out some fireplace ashes when I get some for the chickens to bathe in. They really like that.
Carol

 

[starchix]

Huh. I can do DLM with a wood floor in my henhouse? Really? I have been so confused about this. I thought it was only for outside runs, and needed a dirt base. In my newbie-ness last year, I didn't know enough to initially paint the floor or get a sheet of vinyl flooring when I bought my hen house, and I've become more and laggard about cleaning it as time has passed, worn out like the original poster, RR. As one who is known for putting the 'lazy' in laissez faire (where the garden is concerned), I've been feeling guilty about the increasing intervals of complete cleaning. I suspect my coop (house) is a bit on the small side for my 7 hens (it is 4' x 4') but it has good ventilation across the top and bottom, and there is plenty of roosting space.

Our climate is quite dry (desert) so I'm not sure we meet the recommended humidity figures, but I'm not going to worry about that. Increasing the humidity in there, especially in our cold winters, would be tough, even if I tried to use a spritzer bottle or something similar.

Really? I can stop cleaning out the litter all the time and just dump on more pine shavings and straw? I am well chuffed about that!

And presumably I can stop fussing with the outdoor run/s and dump straw, leaves, etc on there too? I have two completely secure covered runs and one larger one connected to them for daytime that is open to the sky. In winter, this area will be covered with snow and I'm thinking I need to put down something so it doesn't become a muddy mess between snowfalls. Would bark mulch work best? or should I splurge on lots of straw? It is about 10' x 20' and has 2 small pear trees in the middle. It is on the north side of a 6 foot fence, so the ground is solidly frozen from sometime in November through March.