Many questions about dirt floor coop and Deep litter/pests

[odchooks]

I to am also not a fan of the “DeepLitter” method. I understand that it’s easier and cheaper to clean it out once or twice a year but it seems lazy to me and it seems that all the chickens will be doing is digging around in their own poop. I can’t see how it’s beneficial to them.
I’ll probably just continue to take out all the hay, clean the earth s bit and sprinkle “DE” and a coop deodorant then replace the hay every 5days or so.

I decided to do deep litter because Studies actually show it reduces disease relative to other methods. Poop beaks down quickly and composting microbes outcompete disease carrying bugs. I was skeptical it would work but no smell - I can’t find any poop. No flies. I use leaf litter. They are originally jungle floor birds so they love it.

 

[heartofachild]

I have deep litter in coop and dirt in their run, used to have grass. I add to the dirt in 1/3 of the run with wood ash etc...in the middle 1/3 ha've hard ground where their food and water is, the rest of the run is under the coop there is dirt and some grass. If the run is lightly watered on occation, grass will grow in the area of the run not covered. We have 12" of hardware cloth buried around the whole coop and run, but moles still dig their way in. I should add, they only go into their coop to lay eggs, they sleep in the run then they are out running around all day. They're so cute

Did the moles kill your chickens? We have moles so that makes me nervous!

 

[heartofachild]

I have deep litter in coop and dirt in their run, used to have grass. I add to the dirt in 1/3 of the run with wood ash etc...in the middle 1/3 ha've hard ground where their food and water is, the rest of the run is under the coop there is dirt and some grass. If the run is lightly watered on occation, grass will grow in the area of the run not covered. We have 12" of hardware cloth buried around the whole coop and run, but moles still dig their way in. I should add, they only go into their coop to lay eggs, they sleep in the run then they are out running around all day. They're so cute

Did the moles kill your chickens? We have moles so this makes me nervous!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Did the moles kill your chickens? We have moles so that makes me nervous!

My birds would destroy moles, the same way they destroy mice... I can't imagine a mole big enough to challenge even a small chicken. Average weight on a mole is between 1 and 5 ounces, most around 3 oz. Everything I've ever hatched is at least that big by two weeks of age - At most, they might both compete for earthworms.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Same here. My full sized chickens would eat a mole if they caught it. No danger at all to chickens.

 

[3KillerBs]

Did the moles kill your chickens? We have moles so this makes me nervous!

The complete lack of moles and mole tunnels in my chicken run suggest that it's the other way around.

 

[Julie Sachse]

My birds would destroy moles, the same way they destroy mice... I can't imagine a mole big enough to challenge even a small chicken. Average weight on a mole is between 1 and 5 ounces, most around 3 oz. Everything I've ever hatched is at least that big by two weeks of age - At most, they might both compete for earthworms.

I have never seen any evidence of a slaying, will the chickens kill it to eat it?because, that would be gross Or just because its there? I don't need to do anything to get rid of them in there, do I? All food, water and shells are hanging, so nothing touching the floor but overflow.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yes, they would gobble them right up if interested, just as they do to baby mice. Would leave no trace. Chickens are dinosaurs.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I'm not a fan of daily manure handling, but I know that it works for a lot of people.

Woot woot I usually go about 2 or 3 days before scooping

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have never seen any evidence of a slaying, will the chickens kill it to eat it?

Mine would. They either peck them enough to break enough bones to soften it up enough that they can swallow it whole or peck it into bite sized pieces. I've seen them cut a frog to pieces. Mine really love to swallow a mouse whole after they soften it up.

because, that would be gross

To you, no to the chickens. That's the way nature works.

I don't need to do anything to get rid of them in there, do I? All food, water and shells are hanging, so nothing touching the floor but overflow.

Not for any of those reasons. A snake big enough to eat eggs may follow their tunnels into the run. That's not likely but it is possible.