How to keep Shavings inside the coop

PLaunier

In the Brooder
May 5, 2015
4
1
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Hello, I am hoping someone here can give me some advice. My sliding door going out to my run is almost flush with inside floor (1.5 inches up). My question is: How do I keep the shavings from falling out the door if I use the Deep litter method?

Will I need to move the run door up?

And thank you to everyone who has contributed to this site. It is an awesome place for information. So far I have found answers to all my questions on this forum.

-Paul
 
Welcome to BYC
You have already arrived at the solution - as you said, the run door will have to have it's bottom at a point above the coop floor level - for DLM you will want it higher than your anticipated deepest level of litter. If the structure of your setup is such that altering the door itself will be difficult you could frame around the door to leave a space of floor right at the door where the litter is kept back by creating a frame on the floor that is high enough to keep the majority of the litter on the other side of the barrier (is that making any sense?). Keep in mind that there will be a fair amount of digging and throwing of litter by your flock, so the extra bit of height above the expected depth is going to be most helpful - though you still might see some loss of litter with enthusiastic birds. As they scratch and toss they tend to pile the litter up against walls, etc so regularly raking the litter back to the middle can avoid them building right up over your attempt to contain the stuff.
 
I had the same issue but with pine shavings instead of deep litter. I just took a conveniently sized slice of plywood, attached it to a 2x4 footer, and stood it up against the door frame. In retrospect I could have made a sliding arrangement of some sort. In any case, I have to step up over it coming and going, but it's easily removable as needed.
 
thanks for the fast response.. I think It will be easiest for me to cut the door up another 12" and block off the bottom 12" to hold in the shavings. Should I make a small ramp on the inside for when the litter is only 4-5" high?


thanks
 
My door opens out of the coop.

I also installed a board, 2x12, across the bottom of the doorway.

I step over the board to enter or exit the coop, but the litter stays in. Simple.
I do not mean the people door. I am talking about the door leading out to the run.
 
You could do something like this:
400
 
I do not mean the people door. I am talking about the door leading out to the run.
I also misunderstood. Us experts
tongue.png
call that the pop door. Most people install that high enough off the floor to naturally contain the bedding. I agree the picture above has the right idea.
 

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