Run and deep litter help please

[rosemarythyme]

I just dumped a ton of dry leaves in mine. Though i am slightly worried about the wooden walls now that were talking about it...

Really depends on type of wood and amount of moisture, I think, for it to be an issue. But it is something to consider. My fencing is all metal/wire and the coop is elevated on concrete and PT skids, about 6", so moisture isn't normally an issue.

 

[ackie]

Really depends on type of wood and amount of moisture, I think, for it to be an issue. But it is something to consider. My fencing is all metal/wire and the coop is elevated on concrete and PT skids, about 6", so moisture isn't normally an issue.

I don't think itll be a huge issue and it *should* be pressure treated so I'll risk it haha.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I don't think itll be a huge issue and it *should* be pressure treated so I'll risk it haha.

Yeah we have a lot of moisture here - a creek (flooded twice last year), a pond, ground water that's so high that you can dig down to it with just a regular shovel. So keeping things out of water is always on my mind.

 

[ackie]

Yeah we have a lot of moisture here - a creek (flooded twice last year), a pond, ground water that's so high that you can dig down to it with just a regular shovel. So keeping things out of water is always on my mind.

It's a great consideration. Our pens had a draining problem so a past roommate put a french drain down the front of them. But weve since ditch-witched a trench for a septic pipe which threw dirt all over that drain and made the pens the low point of the area. On the upside(?), the pens are angled so really heavy rain just goes in the front and out the back. Weve scooped out a lot of that dirt now but we havent had a big rain since that to test it.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you everyone! I have friends in the landscaping business so I’m asking for natural materials like soil and dried leaves to start with. I don’t want any mold problems! I think I better stay away from wood chips and hay and such. We will see how this goes! Sounds like it will be a learning process!

If your ground is so wet in the chicken run that your bedding is going to grow mold under ordinary conditions then what you need to do first is to fix your water problem.

Place French drains, grade the area to divert runoff, roof the run, and/or build up the level of the ground with additional soil rather than gravel -- then add appropriate bedding.

 

[Suejordn]

If your ground is so wet in the chicken run that your bedding is going to grow mold under ordinary conditions then what you need to do first is to fix your water problem.

Place French drains, grade the area to divert runoff, roof the run, and/or build up the level of the ground with additional soil rather than gravel -- then add appropriate bedding.

Well, we just built and and it has a nice corrugated roof over it with a gutter system. So I don’t think water will be able to get in. Our air and weather is just very moist and damp. Things take a while to dry here. Before we put a roof over it, we never had a puddle issue because it is covered in gravel and drains well.

 

[lesliedow]

Ive used DE with the deep litter method for years (5+) with no problems--but I have been away from the chicken world for a couple of years due to zoning issues. I have a new place, am planning a new coop, and was planning to use it again. I used DE sparingly and usually only during very wet seasons, but it did help to extend the coop-life of the deep litter before I finished the composting. It sounds like this has fallen out of favor in the community, but it might be good to read wider and see if it would work for you and your chickens.

 

[aart]

Ive used DE with the deep litter method for years (5+) with no problems--but I have been away from the chicken world for a couple of years due to zoning issues. I have a new place, am planning a new coop, and was planning to use it again. I used DE sparingly and usually only during very wet seasons, but it did help to extend the coop-life of the deep litter before I finished the composting. It sounds like this has fallen out of favor in the community, but it might be good to read wider and see if it would work for you and your chickens.

Why would you put DE in a composting(I assume) deep litter?
What is the benefit?

 

[paintedChix]

Thank you everyone! I have friends in the landscaping business so I’m asking for natural materials like soil and dried leaves to start with. I don’t want any mold problems! I think I better stay away from wood chips and hay and such. We will see how this goes! Sounds like it will be a learning process!

Have to go back and see if I'd posted any of his other videos. This one is pretty nifty - shows a lot of his processes...

Chicken compost - Leaf mountain & rock mulch working

 

[lesliedow]

Why would you put DE in a composting(I assume) deep litter?
What is the benefit?

Helps with excess moisture. I did not use it all the time but added when it is very humid and wet, it helps to keep the litter dry. I never noticed it stopping the composting. Which would make sense. Composting is mostly bacterial, so DE is likely not to affect the rate of composting.