Rotational Deep Litter Method

[SC_Hugh]

My new rotational Deep Litter method (three sections)

Section #1: Nest boxes - always the cleanest area

Section #2: 1/3 of coop floor in front of nest boxes - pretty clean

Section #3: 2/3 of coop floor under roost bars - poopiest area that requires deep litter method

---------- 9" divider wall between Sections #2 and #3


Sprinkle floor with DE before adding new shavings and also sprinkle on top of shavings. Give sections #2 and #3 a stir about every week or so:

Day 1:

Section #1: Fill with 2" of clean shavings

Section #2: Add 2" of clean shavings

Section #3: Add 4" of clean shavings

2 months: Throw Section #2 old shavings over to #3 and mix (6" total). Empty out section #1 onto the floor of section #2. Add 2" clean shavings to Section #1 and also fill up to 2" for Section #2.

4 months: Repeat 2 month procedure, Section #3 (8" of shavings, but some of it has compressed).

6 months and New Day 1: Clean out Section #3 to compost pile. Add 2" fresh shavings + litter from Section #2 to Section #3, repeat Day 1 above, repeat, repeat, repeat. A full clean out of Section #3 can be done at anytime after 4 months or partial clean outs along the way, depends on how many birds and how much time they spend inside the coop.

The last thing I need to add is a "poop" clean out door cut out of the back of my coop, so that I can rake out Section #3 straight out into the yard.

Here is a pic of Section #2 with Section #1 on the left -

Here is a pic of Section #3 under the roost -

 

[reksat]

Thats similar how i do mine but without the divider. Going on 6 months now and still have only used about 3/4 bag of shavings. Its clean,dry,odor free and my 8 chics love their 5'x8' coop deville.Totally happy with it.

 

[SC_Hugh]

So another one of my so-so ideas bites the dust, but you never know if an idea will work until you try it. This idea failed because my coop floor square footage is too small, only 4' x 7' = 28 sq ft for 5 hens. If my coop were 2x as big or bigger, I think it would have worked as planned.

The area under the roost (Section #3) was 4' x 4' and the clean area near the nest boxes (Section #2) was 4' x 3'. All the dirty business occurred in Section #3 as expected. After a few short weeks, it needed deeper litter and more stirring and the whole success of deep litter is supposed to be: less work for me and better living conditions for the hens. I removed the center divider this weekend, added more litter and stirred it all up. I now have 5-6" on the entire floor and I will add a couple more inches when I get a chance to get more shavings at the feed store...working up to 8-12" of deep litter.

After more reading about chickens needing lots of fresh air and ventilation, I now leave the north and south windows open all the time for better ventilation and plan to add more when I get a chance. I really want to add a vented Cupola (home made without a weather vane)

That is my update on my 2011 Rotational deep litter method FAIL

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

the whole success of deep litter is supposed to be: less work for me and better living conditions for the hens

The only way it works as it SHOULD is to have it at least 6 inches deep, and DON"T bother it other than to stir it a little if the chickens don't do it enough on their own.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/9QuJFt/www.plamondon.com/faq_deep_litter.html/​

 

[steinway]

Quote:
The only way it works as it SHOULD is to have it at least 6 inches deep, and DON"T bother it other than to stir it a little if the chickens don't do it enough on their own.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/9QuJFt/www.plamondon.com/faq_deep_litter.html/

Thank you for the link Bear Foot. Good article