Poop board or deep litter?

[ThisoldNHhen]

Hello, I have been trying to decide which way to go or can I do both? I am thinking of rearranging the coop with one roost with poop board under. I do notice that they spend a lot of time in the coop just laying on the ground during the day so there is a fair amount of poop that is not going to be collected on poop board. So can I use poop board and deep litter?
Thanks, this place is awesome! I have learned so much from all the peeps on here!

 

[Ron in Sebring]

This is how mine is setup...I have a 10’x12’ coop with a deep litter floor and several roosting shelves. Under the long roost I have poop boards and under the smaller ones I leave for the litter. Makes cleaning up easier and it sort of forces me to keep the litter turned over and cleaned more often.

So, both works!

 

[DobieLover]

Can you post pictures of your coop and run, inside and out?
If the weather is good and the flock had adequate shelter from the hit sun and aerial predators, they prefer to be outside, not hanging out in the coop.
I prefer poop boards with a lip and PDZ to control odor and ammonia fumes.

 

[Birdsong 82]

Most of there droppings will be whole their on the roost. You will be amazed how much ends up on a poop board. In my opinion I would go with both methods. Once I installed a poop board I'm still wondering why I hadn't done it earlier I personally don't use deep litter method inside the coop ( not that there's anything wrong with that, just not my preference ) just in the run but with the poop boards in there it stays pretty clean for a chicken coop

 

[NatJ]

So can I use poop board and deep litter?

Yes.

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

I installed a poop board last year... best thing ever, especially in the winter.

 

[Birdsong 82]

Yes the poop board and a large paint scraper and then a walk over to the compost pile and done!

 

[aart]

So can I use poop board and deep litter?

If you want to do a true composting deep litter, poop boards would be a disadvantage.
The terms 'deep litter' and 'deep bedding' are often misunderstood and misapplied.
I've always liked this explanation:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-method-with-this-coop.1075545/#post-16440037

 

[KarynVA]

I use deep litter and no poop boards. I don't see myself scraping poop every day. The poop from my 3 hens just mixes with the litter, dries out, and crumbles to dust. No smell, no poop scraping.

 

[Sally PB]

I don't have a poop board, but may in the future. I do have a poop mat, a boot tray with some PDZ on it, under the roost. I have about 3-4 inches of pine shavings/hemp on the floor of the coop, and plan to add the other half bale of hemp next week. Nearly all the poop is on the mat, so I scoop it up with a kitty litter scoop and I'm done in about a minute.

In the beginning, I thought wanted to go the composting litter route, but like my current setup and plan to keep it. The coop stays clean, doesn't smell, and maintenance is a breeze. I have never removed all the pine/hemp. I push some out into the run and add new. The chickens love the addition to the run and scratch through it like they're going to find gold.

Truth be told, I'm selfish... I want the poop for my compost. I have had the best compost ever this year.