Montana

[cackleberrycoop]

I use the DLM, but my coop is large with lots of ventalation. The coop is 14x24, the main pen is 12x12, and I have 2 7x8 breeding pens. I throw some scratch in the litter daily and the chickens keep it well turned, I have never had a problem with moisture or odor. I use a mix of shavings, shredded paper, and straw, and just add more of one or all as needed. I did just get some DE from TSC and added some to the litter, but didn't see that it made any difference. I do like to use the DE in their dusting area. My coop is not insulated, and I do not add heat in the winter. I do have heated waterers for each pen. I have a covered run area for each pen and the chickens are able to go out year round, and they do what I call modified free range all summer in 1/4 acre fenced pens.

I have really, really wanted to do the deep litter method but keep reading altering information on what actually to use to make up the litter. It's got to be more than just shavings and DE, right? I read one article that was so complex and it has kept me from actually going for it. You add the shredded paper, straw, or shavings as it begins to feel moist in there to you, Azriel? What about smell - how bad does it smell? I wish I could remember what the article said to add to the litter when the ammonia smell got strong - it seemed really odd to me. My coop is 12 x 60 feet and I am really getting worn out on cleaning it - would love for the deep litter method to work, but don't want to screw up a good thing by doing it improperly. Is there a point in time when the entire place has to be deep cleaned and the process begun over?

 

[karlamaria]

That's a giant coop! Do you have large poop boards under your girls? This cuts down the poop drastically. I'm not a fan of deep litter method, I found at my friends it stunk. She cleaned it out 3 times a year and what a mess. Yeah she added paper, straw hay, shavings grass, and to me it was a big poop pile. Sorry but it's just a turn off to not clean the coop out. Poop boards do wonders if they cover the roost and stick out under the roost about a foot on each side. Sprinkle sand or shavings ad you just scoop the poo. Some people love the deep litter method, you may also like it. Many say it makes it easier for them, ( less cleaning) I guess if I had the coops you all do I may think a out it. But mine is not so big a bag of shavings lasts up 4 cleanings and we lay it on thick. Today we cleaned the pen, thank Goodness no RAin Or snow ever gets in there, it's so nice and clean , today we are making sand boxes , in two weeks we will be laying down lots of sand , making it at least 6 inches deep. My girls just love there pen, it's like a bedroom lol, we cleaned it out and filled all the dishes, added treats,fresh water, cleaned the roosts and instead of being out under the hedges free ranging, there laying on there sides with full bellys in the pen . Spoiled chicks, chickens and pullets lol . Good luck on your decision on deep litter , many hear swear by it, it may work out well for you. Not sure how often to clean the whole mess out, maybe azriel can answer that.

 

[Azriel]

I have a dirt floor in my coop, and no poop boards, I just add new beddings when it looks like it needs it, or if I detect any smell. The poop just turns to powder in the litter, and the litter is so well broke down that when the coop is cleaned out it can go right in the garden with out having to compost further. I started deep litter last Nov. and have not cleaned anything out of the coop yet, and I really never have any smell. I add some bedding maybe once a month, but I throw scratch under the roosts daily and the chickens keep it well turned, its never wet. Even over winter with the water in the coop I don't have a problem. I plan on cleaning everything this fall if I have time, and starting over. For the 12x12 pen I started with 2 bales of shavings, 1 big garbage bag of paper, and maybe half a small bale of straw. I get the shredded paper free from work, and have my own straw from the grain we grow, so this very cost effictive for me. I did add some DE the last time I added bedding, but I didn't see that it did anything. I do like to put the DE as well as ashes from the wood stove in their dusting area.
I went a little crazy with hatching this year, and am growing out more than I should, so my coop is way over full till some of the young roos and maybe a few of the oldest hens go in the freezer, but even being this full I still don't have any smell in the morning when I open the coop.
DL works the best with dirt floor, but because it stays so dry if done right, it also works very well with other types of flooring. It works great with cement floors because it helps keep it warmer in the winter.

 

[ReneB]

Hi all A fellow Montanan here just saying Hello!

 

[karlamaria]

Hi Rena, nice to see another Montana gal! I see you got your self an incubator, how's it working? I got the opposite my girl is broody again. She sat on eggs as she just wanted to stay broody, after 6 weeks she is at it again. The chicks were 3 weeks old when she started laying eggs and 3 more weeks before becoming broody again. I should rent her out lol, have people bring there eggs and she sit on the, and hatch them out lol. She is a wonderful mommy to. She has been broody since she started laying eggs! And she turned 1 year old in march, thats one broody girl.

 

[dwolfwmn]

Rene...where you at?

 

[dwolfwmn]

I really appreciate your help and comments on DLM, but there is always 1 more question.

Why poop boards rather than poop decks (I think they were called) with sides and a couple of inches of shavings, sand or whatever and then scoop it like kitty litter. We were thinking scooping would be easier than scraping.....but, I am beginning to question that since you all have poop boards.

Thank you for your patience....I am sure you get tired of newbies! It seems everything is so different now compared to 45 years ago when I was on the farm. But we are going more for fun and pets, then they were income producers!

Someone on BYC said their chicks liked yogurt....so we tried that on their cabbage one day....our girls LOVE it. And they are so cute with their beaks all covered in white!! My 72 year old mother has a hard time believing we give our girls treats, pull up a bench and watch them eat it!!

 

[karlamaria]

I think its a matter of getting a poop done for me lol, I opted for poop board as i did it my self. I put littler on top of it so there is no scooping, I just shove it into a garbage can I use only for the coop. makes it easy for us and cheaper then anything else. my girls love yougert, go thru a huge container every week. there true love is grapes cut in half. they go bonkers. I also sprout wheat for them, man they fight over that. i get romain lettuse, feed that every other day, cantelope, watermellon you name it my birds get it. there quit spoiled.

 

[ReneB]

Thanks for the welcomes

I'm way up on the Hi-Line- south of Havre.

I did get an incubator- just a little still air Hovabator. I'm shopping for something a little better. When I got the idea to hatch some eggs, "better" wasn't quite in the budget I'm starting all over with chickens though- as we had a run in with a weasel that wiped out the dozen or so we had before. Also have some turkeys coming, so looking forward to having a few of those around.

 

[karlamaria]

you need a brooder, I got one you can have lol, all she does is sit on eggs, and sit waiting for eggs. 2 broody hens this week, oye . I just get eggs from a local farmer, put them under her and she hatched them. she is a good mommy but this broody is getting old. my yard is to small for more chicks at this time or I would put more under her lol good luck on the incubator