quick bedding question

[irmad]

Would it be ok to add a bag of compost to the chicken bedding just to help with the deep litter method? To give it a little kick start.

I currently use obious which is chopped hemp and I use the deep litter method

 

[irmad]

I usually add a little sand to the chopped hemp... I find it helps to absorb the dropping effectively.

I was wondering if I could substitute the sand with ready made compost?

 

[chfite]

Whatever you use, remember that you want to be able to keep the litter dry. So using sand, hemp, straw, wood shavings, compost, wood mulch is all pretty much the same.

Chris

 

[irmad]

Cool...

 

[chynasparks]

I have a question about the deep litter having to stay dry. May I ask what happens to the litter in the rain. I ask because I want to learn. I'm using sand in my enclosed run which is covered by a roof but rain gets in on the sides and sand gets wet. Also it gets wet from drainage from runoff (lack of better word). My coop is on concrete. Coop itself has no floor, the concrete slab it sits on serves as the floor which is why it gets damp. The sand drains quickly and is just moist. Peeps aren't walking in mud. So I was just curious what happens in the rain to the deep litter?

 

[chynasparks]

I have a question about the deep litter having to stay dry. May I ask what happens to the litter in the rain. I ask because I want to learn. I'm using sand in my enclosed run which is covered by a roof but rain gets in on the sides and sand gets wet. Also it gets wet from drainage from runoff (lack of better word). My coop is on concrete. Coop itself has no floor, the concrete slab it sits on serves as the floor which is why it gets damp. The sand drains quickly and is just moist. Peeps aren't walking in mud. So I was just curious what happens in the rain to the deep litter?

 

[irmad]

I have corrugated sheets on my coop. You gotta make sure that your bedding does not get wet.... wet ammonia which is in the chicken poo does not smell nice... I mix sand with chopped hemp or you can mix with chopped straw absorbs chicken poo straight away and drys very quickly.

My coop is also on slabs... I first put about 2 inches of sand on the slabs and then I put about 5-6 inches of chopped hemp and its perfect...

Too much water voming in will start to mold the bedding...