No one has asked this question............

[patandchickens]

Quote:
I am not criticizing you Beekissed, but although this gets repeated and repeated and repeated it IS NOT TRUE.

It is a misquote of, they can get 100% of their requirements for, uh, one of the B vitamins (B1 maybe? sorry, can't remember offhand and have kids crawling all over right now)... a vitamin that used to cause problematic deficiencies until the problem was identified and it was added to commercial feeds and now the only way your birds would be deficient in it is if you feed a ration other than bagged feed from the feedstore. (e.t.a., for clarity: they can NOT get 100% of their protein requirements from deep litter)

Pat

 

[Promiselandfarm]

They get added protein from the earthworms and other bugs that come in to make a home through the soil into the bedding. I think it keeps our chickens cleaner we use it year round. But we also clean our coops out more often than most. It turns into really nice dirt if you let nature take its course. I do not use DE because that would kill/harm the earthworms needed to make the litter into dirt. It does help the chickens keep busy when they have to stay in all day. They will scratch around and fluff it and as others stated sprinkle some feed and they will really mix it up.

 

[kristenm1975]

When using the deep litter method, what kinds of things are folks using for a the base? I've got straw that I keep adding to one a week or so and it seems to get wet and stay pretty wet. That's not right is it?

 

[LoneCowboy]

No, you don't want it wet.

I use pine shavings. I also have cement floors in my coops so no good earthworms to help out.

 

[bluie]

I thought the reason we stirred it up was so that any ammonia vapors could escape and not build up to an unsafe level.

 

[vfem]

I am starting this method on our new coop! Its very exciting to change how we are doing things. We're hoping it will help keep them warm in the winter more so then hay on the ground. Though, I like leaving them open ground in the coop as they dig mud holes to cool off in. Chickens have such weird and constant needs, yet so simple!

 

[Promiselandfarm]

We go to our local lumber yard and get a pickup bed full of shavingsl. Most times it is hardwood shavings but others it is soft and hard mixed. Just whatever they have...they do not do cedar so no problem there.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
I am not criticizing you Beekissed, but although this gets repeated and repeated and repeated it IS NOT TRUE.

It is a misquote of, they can get 100% of their requirements for, uh, one of the B vitamins (B1 maybe? sorry, can't remember offhand and have kids crawling all over right now)... a vitamin that used to cause problematic deficiencies until the problem was identified and it was added to commercial feeds and now the only way your birds would be deficient in it is if you feed a ration other than bagged feed from the feedstore. (e.t.a., for clarity: they can NOT get 100% of their protein requirements from deep litter)

Pat

I'll have to contact Mother Earth News and tell them they are wrong!

 

[mrsengeseth]

Quote:
could it be that they are eating bugs that are helping to break down the waste materials? I wonder. Honest, I am trying to figure out how.

 

[Beau coop]

New to chickens, but I thought you had to keep their litter clean. If you throw scratch into poo filled litter and they scratch around can they get ill from the dust, or the poo itself bu ingesting it?