need help on cleaning the run

[Ozarkhomesteader]

Copied from another query:

"deep litter", is just "cold composting"

Every location will differ, but the process remains the same.

Slight variations are necessary to achieve the same fantastic results.

Too much info already available with a quick search on cold composting to get into it, but when done properly, well worth the effort.





In these pictures you can see the results. The birds process the deep litter inside the run into fine compost sifted out through 1/2 hardware cloth fencing, where I gather and share with my master gardening friends.

I throw almost anything biodegradable into the run, the birds do all the processing, I collect the rewards, black gold to many...

In this next picture you will see last fall's gathering of this years future "black gold".
That finely shredded pile of leaves is about 30' x30'x3' high.



and last week, first day of spring

nice! black gold indeed! sounds like a great process! I think i will do this on my breeders runs. most of my birds are pastured, but the fancy breeder have runs. Thanks!

that stinks! it no fun to have that much snow in spring!

 

[RonP]

that stinks! it no fun to have that much snow in spring!

It was gone in a day or so

.

The run pictures were just a week later, all traces gone...

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

It was gone in a day or so

.

The run pictures were just a week later, all traces gone...

well, thats good!!

 

[mmcncapecod]

Hi there,

I just went on to this site with the very same concern you posted. Over the winter the ground was frozen. I would occasionally put down hay which the chickens loved to scratch. Now, however, the run is a muddy mess. I just picked up a lot of the old hay and did everything to avoid gagging...the smell is pretty overpowering. I did put down some wood shavings, but wondering if you resolved the problem? If so, advice????

Thanks,

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

Hi there,

I just went on to this site with the very same concern you posted. Over the winter the ground was frozen. I would occasionally put down hay which the chickens loved to scratch. Now, however, the run is a muddy mess. I just picked up a lot of the old hay and did everything to avoid gagging...the smell is pretty overpowering. I did put down some wood shavings, but wondering if you resolved the problem? If so, advice????

Thanks,

Well, after i cleaned out all the old hay, shavings and leaves, i used a hoe to scrap some of the muck off the top (good for compost!) then i put lime down (make sure to get agricultural lime not hydrated lime, Hydrated lime will burn you and the animals and kill them, the Ag. lime is used as an antibacterial and dries out the floor, and also helps tremendously with the smell) though if you have DE (dietomacious earth...forgive my miss spelling ) that stuff works good too. Stall dry also works. http://www.absorbentproductsltd.com/stall-dry-deodorization-and-ammonia-control.html

after that i put down a 3" ish layer of woodchips. They love digging through that and eating bugs and stuff...so far so good, though its only been a couple of weeks Hope you get your problem solved!!

 

[farmerbrowne]

I'm definitely going to try this in my coop. I had a ton of straw in the pen that fell out of the coop from winter and it stunk soooo bad, I scraped down to the ground and removed it all. problem is, it still stinks to high heaven!! I was worried that throwing wood chips rotting in the muck and poo would harbor bad germs!

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

I'm definitely going to try this in my coop. I had a ton of straw in the pen that fell out of the coop from winter and it stunk soooo bad, I scraped down to the ground and removed it all. problem is, it still stinks to high heaven!! I was worried that throwing wood chips rotting in the muck and poo would harbor bad germs!

yeah, mine stunk pretty bad to...hope it works! the lime really helped take care of the stink, just don't forget to do ag. Lime...it would be horrible if they died from hydrated lime!

 

[MooreSulaChicks]

I was just getting ready to search about this!! Glad I found this post!!! Thanks for all the advise

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

I was just getting ready to search about this!! Glad I found this post!!! Thanks for all the advise

well, glad you found it too!! it seems i wasn't the only one with a stinky problem

 

[MooreSulaChicks]

Cityfarmer12 the smell is horrible. Doesn't help that I have the horse pasture next to it and right now with all the rain we've had to a poopy muddy mess