freezing poop, deep litter method

[notsooldmcdonald]

With our coop, we put the roosts over a meshed off area. I'd say that 90% of the poop, therefore, is not in the floor litter. We have two pop doors on the back wall which allow us to fit a small shovel into the "poop pit" area. That base of the pit is a piece of luan (sp?), a wood underlayment for most resiliant floor coverings, that is tilted slightly for ease of cleaning. After cleaning, I toss around about 1/3 of a bag of shavings so the poop doesn't stick to the board. I clean this area whenever we get a relatively warm weekend day (no wind and sunny means ok). So far, this has been once every two/three weeks this winter.
I put the remaining 2/3 bag in the coop floor (6'x6' taking into consideration the poop pit which takes up 2' of the otherwise 8' floor space). I raise the food/water accordingly.

If a real cold snap is expected, I divide an entire bag amongst the coop floor and the nesting boxes.

A sturdy garden hoe works wonders for both fluffing the floor litter and getting any stuck poo off the wire on top of the poop pit (my DH used a heavy gauge wire...which initially I wasn't thrilled about, but it has certainly made it possible to clean it!).

Good luck!
-Christian

 

[geareduplyn]

For deep litter managment wood pellets are the best to start with. They are more absorbant and if a bit of scratch is fed on the floor each day the birds will keep the litter stirred up and dry.

 

[notsooldmcdonald]

Quote:
The same as for pellet stoves? That's a great idea!

Thanks!
-C

 

[geareduplyn]

Quote:
The same as for pellet stoves? That's a great idea!

Thanks!
-C

When I started using pellets, wood stove pellets were what I was using. I now use the pine pellets sold for horse bedding because they absorb moisture faster and break down better. Pellet stove pellets are very acceptable though. TSC has them and any large feed store should be carrying them. They are semi expensive, so I wait until they are on sale and buy a couple of pallets. There is a picture of pellets on dirt on my post in the breeds and genitics topic.

 

[LynneP]

I use a paint scraper and a catch bucket to clean the frozen poops off platforms and roosts. Every now and then you get one that won't budge, but it takes off 99%, for sure.

We have planks over a concrete floor in the coop so I don;t need the litter to be very deep, and we've been through 14 storms and a bitter cold spell. I tend to spot-clean daily and add a new bale of shavings every month or so. (9x11' coop floor)

We use food-grade DE over the planks and in cracks, on roosts, nest boxes, platforms, anywhere we see a need. Oh and in the play sand box.
Gives you the option of adding Sevin or Dri-Kill if a pest problem develops, but is a wonderful preventive.

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
The same as for pellet stoves? That's a great idea!

Thanks!
-C

When I started using pellets, wood stove pellets were what I was using. I now use the pine pellets sold for horse bedding because they absorb moisture faster and break down better. Pellet stove pellets are very acceptable though. TSC has them and any large feed store should be carrying them. They are semi expensive, so I wait until they are on sale and buy a couple of pallets. There is a picture of pellets on dirt on my post in the breeds and genitics topic.

I use straw pellets, they too break down well and compost quicker than the wood pellets.

 

[CityChook]

I'm in cold country too and use the DLM - My shavings are probably 9 inches deep and dry as a bone. They haven't been changed since September. I have some DE but haven't used it much since there's no smell.

Poop is frozen but dry. I figured I'd start scooping it out when the thaw comes, but that won't be until April. I do toss it with a garden rake about once a week just to keep it fluffy.

I'm admittedly a little OCD and can't handle a dirty grody chicken coop - it's surprisingly clean in there. My DH drew the line at me going out there with the dust buster...

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Different people mean differnt things by "the deep litter method". The real old-timey version almost has to be done on a dirt floor; you get composting in situ to provide some heat (as well as a somewhat humid atmosphere, without lots of ventilation and a really deep litter pack, plus it can rot your walls). Few people actually do this today, tho I see nothing wrong with it at all if you are set up properly for it. Basically, you just spread a thin layer of fresh bedding atop the old stuff whenever seems warranted, which (depending on the type of livestock and their density in the building) may be daily or every few days or weekly or whatever. Then when the ceiling gets too low <g> you shovel it allllllll out, preferably wearing a respirator as the lower layers can emit some really nasty fumes.

More common is the lazybutt version, where you do not get meaningful amounts of composting (thus no heating of coop, but also you can keep the litter drier and it's kinder on the coop wood). Mostly what you get is the benefit of not having to keep cleaning the coop out all the time. As with the old-timey version, you just put a thin layer of fresh bedding atop the old when it gets too pooey-seeming. Again, how often depends very much on your particular situation. I was doing it twice daily with broilers; I only add litter every couple weeks, if that (thinking... it may be more like monthly) with my layers, who are vastly less messy and a lot more sq ft per chciken. Usually the thing that makes you decide to shovel it all out is either an intractible humidity problem, an intractable dust problem, or you just decide to start afresh. In principle it could continue, as with the old-timey method, til you need stairs to climb *up* into the coop, or til the litter starts spilling out the windows or the pophole door is buried <g>

(Btw, anyone contemplating deep litter of ANY sort should make sure to cut their pophole door a good foot or foot and a half, at least, above the coop floor; also you may want a removeable sill under the people door, for similar reasons)

Finally some people will say they're using the deep litter method when what they mean is just, their litter is deep

That is, they put in like 6-12" of it, but clean it all out frequently instead of just topping it up and leaving it there. Other than providing some additional warmth in cold weather (gives chickens something to snuggle down into), it really offers no advantages -- makes more work and consumes more bedding than any other way of doing things. Of course to each their own.

My personal bias is towards lazybutt deep-litter (in combination with droppings boards cleaned off every morning with the poo removed from coop) and let the litter really get pretty darn pooey indeed before total removal. I think I shovel most of the litter out about once a year. In a more humid climate you'd have to bail earlier than I do here, though.

Pat

 

[Klorinth]

Pat,

Again you give a great explanation. Detail and imagery.

Thank you.

I think I like the sounds of your lazybutt method. I remember the old style, and don't want to be "mucking" the coop. Pigs were but enough. I would be happy with once or twice a year. Dry would be very nice.

Thanks

 

[LakeMomNY]

I use the "lazy-butt" method in the coop, combined with the "old-timey" method in the run.

When there starts to be to much (dry, fluffy) pooey litter in the coop I pull some (1/4...1/3?) out of the coop and into the run. I also throw all my leaves, weeds, grass clippings, coffee grounds, etc into the run. Anything compostable.

The run has a dirt floor, is well ventilated and has no walls to rot. Old-timey deep litter works beautifully there.

The whole system is odor free and virtually work free.

It is easier to throw the clippings/leaves/weeds into the run than to bag them...or compost them (chickens do the turning in the run)...or drag them to the woods. And I dump a bag of shavings in the coop (5x8ish) once a month. Chickens spread it out. Chickens mix the poop in.

There is no "mucking out" the run. The stuff in the run turns into compost. Clean, nice smelling, run your hands through it compost. There is no "mucking" there is "fill up a wheelbarrow and dump in the raised beds."