How much hay?

[pintail_drake2004]

I have a concrete floor I busted 4 bundles of pine shavings on and a wheelbarrow of hay. Once every 14 days or so, I add another load of hay. I only clean my coop out every 6 months. When its time to clean out the hay/wood shavings are almost like powder. I do have a poop board that I clean every week too, so that helps.

 

[Newfarmer36]

Is your coop a wood floor, or soil floor? If hay is what you have for bedding, then that is what you use. Thankfully, you are in a warmer climate, so it won't freeze into a block of hay spaghetti and frozen poo meatballs! Simply add new hay as they soil the existing hay. If you have access to dry leaves that would be an awesome addition. You can get them to work for you by tossing a bit of scratch into the bedding so they will turn the bedding for you. I do deep litter on my wood/vinyl floor coop, and keep adding more bedding as needed. By spring, the litter under the roosts may be 12 - 18" deep. Over the summer, it will compost well. In fall, I clean out a portion of it (it goes into the deep litter run) where it continues to compost. Then, in the fall, I stock pile leaves and keep them bagged and dry, to use as needed in coop and run. I never buy shavings unless I run out of natural bedding.

I have a dirt floor. Well, it's mostly grass. I recently had to move their coop so it's not dirt yet.

 

[lazy gardener]

As long as you don't have drainage problems, you have the best possible coop floor! Just be sure you have a predator proof skirt around your coop to keep rats and digging predators out. Then, start adding the hay, straw, leaves, wood chips, garden debris, grass clippings. Your goal should be to eventually have a composting litter at least 6" deep in the coop. The poop will simply melt into the bedding. You will only need to take out bedding (which will by that time be a nice black humusy compost) if it gets deeper than you want it to be, or if you want to use it in your gardens.

 

[Newfarmer36]

As long as you don't have drainage problems, you have the best possible coop floor! Just be sure you have a predator proof skirt around your coop to keep rats and digging predators out. Then, start adding the hay, straw, leaves, wood chips, garden debris, grass clippings. Your goal should be to eventually have a composting litter at least 6" deep in the coop. The poop will simply melt into the bedding. You will only need to take out bedding (which will by that time be a nice black humusy compost) if it gets deeper than you want it to be, or if you want to use it in your gardens.

It's stinking though. How can I get rid of that?

 

[blackdog043]

You need more than just hay for deep litter. Can you post a picture of your coop?

 

[Newfarmer36]

You need more than just hay for deep litter. Can you post a picture of your coop?

I sure can!

 

[aart]

Might be stinky in there because it looks like you have no ventilation in coop other than the door.
Dig around in bedding, make sure there's no nasty slimy spots.

 

[blackdog043]

Do you keep those panels up all the time? You need some ventilation, the door is not enough. Maybe you could lower some of the top panels. You should also take some of the hay out and add some leaves, wood chips, garden debris, grass clippings.

 

[Chullicken]

101 ways to set up a chicken coop..Do what works for you is my recommendation. If you are in a colder climate I'd not be very shy with the inches of bedding on your coop and run floor (If you use a run), 4-6". 'Deep Litter Method' revolts my senses, but a lot of folks love it and it works for them. Just doesn't work for me so I use a nice healthy layer of Chopped Straw, 6" minimum in the coop and about 4" in my run during winter. Warmer months I just use sand as its affordable and easily cleaned when warm. My only concern is being on the Gulf Coast you'll have an excessive amount of moisture so if you stick with hay you'll need to fork it over once in awhile to allow moisture to escape.

 

[Newfarmer36]

Do you keep those panels up all the time? You need some ventilation, the door is not enough. Maybe you could lower some of the top panels. You should also take some of the hay out and add some leaves, wood chips, garden debris, grass clippings.

I can remove some of them. It's been really cold so I didn't know if I needed to or not.