Question concerning the deep litter method...what am I doing wrong here?

[allidew2]

I must not be doing something right! I understood that deep litter with regular turning would settle the poop underneath and keep the top layer pretty dry and clean. Yes, I do see that. BUT..... I also see TONS of their crumbles (hanging feeder, were on starter, now on layer) at the very bottom, several inches worth under the chips. The 12 week old guineas have been in the coop about two months and I've had to clean it out down to the bare floor twice because the food is so thick that when the hanging waterer splashes out around the edge, it causes big caked/solid chunks of food to form under the pine wood chips. Is this the norm? Does it get better if they will eat pellets instead? Is the deep litter method not good until they get older, and maybe don't waste as much food? ??? I'm at a loss! What do I need to change?

 

[swampducks]

I'm thinking perhaps you are over feeding your guineas and so there is extra food they are just kicking around. Also, what kind of feeder are you using? If it's some sort of tray they can walk through they will just scratch in it and kick it everywhere. A lot of people hang their feeders to prevent this. I don't, but I feed them in a raised trough on the outside in their run. since that's packed dirt no way for the food to get buried. I only feed my birds inside on the deep litter on really nasty weather days. Shouldn't matter if it's crumbles or pellets.

 

[allidew2]

The food is in a hanging feeder just above their shoulder level, so they can't reach the food with their feet at all. They tend to sling their heads sideways while eating and scatter the food across each other's backs, and also the floor/woodchips. They are not free-ranging yet, so I thought they were supposed to have feed available at all times. They pretty much have the feeder empty when I refill it once a day. They have water and feed inside the coop, with water, grit, and oyster shell in their pen. Should the feed be out in their pen and not inside the coop at all? And maybe have only just their waterer inside?

 

[PeepsCA]

Minimizing feed waste is difficult with crumbles, we just have to deal with it/keep it confined to one area if possible, and do extra clean up/tilling of that area....or switch to pellets.

I have better luck using the deep litter method for my older birds. I feed them pellets tho, so there is less waste and they are more efficient and scratching/tilling the litter and cleaning up spilled feed than younger birds are. (I'm lucky and have year round access to a mini pellet for game birds, from a local feed mill, not everyone is this lucky tho).

Keeping the bedding dry is key too, no matter what age of birds are on the bedding. You may have to get creative and re-work your feeders and waterer set ups to minimize waste and spills.

 

[allidew2]

So, having the feeder inside the coop is okay? Or should it be out in the pen? (I'd 'like' for it to be inside the coop, to help convince them to come in at night to eat.....LOL.....that's when I've been filling the feeder, too) I kinda was hoping mine would take to the pellets next. I just eased them from the higher protein game chick feed into the Startena crumbles, since they have been on crumbles since I got them. I thought I'd try the Startena pellets next food buy, and keep my fingers crossed that they'd like them. Hopefully that will help cut some of the waste. The feeder and waterer heights are just above their backs..... I think I'll raise them up a half inch/one inch and see if they have trouble getting food and water. Other "creative" ideas such as ???, Peeps?

Suggestions greatly sppreciated