To deep litter or not to deep litter..... that is the question.

[Emily26]

I'll be setting up my coop in the next few weeks, I've been reading about deep litter and it seems pretty straight forward and you don't have to clean lots.... it sounds too good to be true!

Is it really that easy? I'd like an option that's not too offensive to ask the neighbours to sort if they're looking after my chooks for me. What are peoples thoughts and experiences on this method?

I have four chooks

L2880mm x H1800mm x W2170mm - rough coop size (probs a little smaller)

 

[cavemanrich]

Many peeps confuse deep litter method with simply deep litter bedding.
Deep litter method (DLM) gets slightly more involved. Generally you would prefer it to be on soil earth floor. Certain moisture needs to be present for it to work properly. It is basically a compost pile that the chicken droppings get consumed in. It does need to be thick to work properly.

Deep bedding, is something that I do. The chicken gumdrops do fall into the deep bedding, get buried, and do decompose somewhat. The chickens are not walking thru deep manure, since the deep bedding absorbs the droppings somewhat, and droppings dry out. I clean out my coop 2 times per year, and just dump the contents into my garden. I use hay as my basic bedding material. I have also used dried grass lawn clippings. I add more bedding when I see need. Many peeps do same, but dump into their compost piles. They do not want to use HOT, chicken manure in their gardens. I understand their position. I dump my coop cleanout under my ornamental trees, Nothing has ever burned them, as the release of nutrients is slow to reach the roots.(with natural rain doing the transfer)

I keep small flock, and my coop does not have a foul smell. Of course there is some smell of chicken, which is very hard to avoid, regardless of method used.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[raingarden]

It rains here a lot; almost every day. The humidity and temperature both usually about 80. The only way we have found to keep a coop completely odor free is to use sand. The sand pulls the moisture out of the feces and it is pulverized as they walk on it. The sand layer need only be 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick and replaced several times each year. We use coral sand so they get their grit and calcium at the same time. I first came across this in an old 1920 book, Egg Farming in California by Charles Weeks. Weeks also discusses the benefits of providing fresh greens along with the pelleted feed.

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

I also use deep bedding. I use the string cutter in a galvanized trash bin to shred dried leaves and grass cuttings and add them to the (purchased) poultry bedding. It is highly effective for gardening and coop maintenance.

Every few months, I harvest the bedding and put it into my compost bin. It doesn't seem to get hot, acting more like "brown" than "green" matter. I even added the deep bedding directly under the potting soil of my tomato plant. It seems to be thriving.

I have to admit deep bedding has been more easily manageable than I thought it would be. The only time the coops smell is if they get wet after a heavy rain. For me, I'm really happy with the way raising quail has meshed with growing plants. I think though, if I had more quail (I currently have a little more than a dozen), it wouldn't work for my small residential backyard. You'll have to figure out how many birds are the right amount for your size plot.

 

[3KillerBs]

As @cavemanrich noted, Deep Litter and Deep Bedding are often confused.

Deep Bedding: A dry, non-composting system where you keep adding bedding to the coop as it becomes soiled -- managing it by turning it as necessary (or getting the chickens to turn it for you) -- and clean it out only infrequently when the bedding has become both thoroughly soiled and piled up to the point of not being able to add more. Usually used above a floor in the coop but *can* be done in a covered run over dirt in a favorable climate.

Deep Litter: A moist (not wet, moist), system where the lower layers of material are actively composting while new, dry material is continually added to the top. *Can* be done on any floor surface but is most readily accomplished on a dirt floor because the dirt will seed the material with the beneficial composting organisms.

I wrote an article about Deep Bedding: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-deep-bedding-in-a-small-coop.76343/

I highly recommend it but I tried to include an honest list of drawbacks along with the advantages to help people make a fully-informed decision.

 

[Aunt Tat]

Many peeps confuse deep litter method with simply deep litter bedding.
Deep litter method (DLM) gets slightly more involved. Generally you would prefer it to be on soil earth floor. Certain moisture needs to be present for it to work properly. It is basically a compost pile that the chicken droppings get consumed in. It does need to be thick to work properly.

Deep bedding, is something that I do. The chicken gumdrops do fall into the deep bedding, get buried, and do decompose somewhat. The chickens are not walking thru deep manure, since the deep bedding absorbs the droppings somewhat, and droppings dry out. I clean out my coop 2 times per year, and just dump the contents into my garden. I use hay as my basic bedding material. I have also used dried grass lawn clippings. I add more bedding when I see need. Many peeps do same, but dump into their compost piles. They do not want to use HOT, chicken manure in their gardens. I understand their position. I dump my coop cleanout under my ornamental trees, Nothing has ever burned them, as the release of nutrients is slow to reach the roots.(with natural rain doing the transfer)

I keep small flock, and my coop does not have a foul smell. Of course there is some smell of chicken, which is very hard to avoid, regardless of method used.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

I noticed you specified hay as your bedding base. Do you buy it in quantity when it's available? What kind of hay do you use?

 

[mcdze]

whatever works .. for me personally, i would worry about getting infested with mites etc never cleaning it out in the warm months so for summer doesnt sound good 'to me' ..

 

[cavemanrich]

I noticed you specified hay as your bedding base. Do you buy it in quantity when it's available? What kind of hay do you use?

I purchase it at my local farm supply store. I get Alfalfa, or Timothy. Both work same for me. Kind of prefer Alfalfa, since chickens do munch on some. (as they scratch thru it) I also use it to line my nesting boxes/containers.
It comes in compressed bales that weigh 50 pounds. I purchased regular less compressed bales from a different store as well. They weighed half, and were about half of the price as well. I preferred hay over straw for the extra couple dollars.
One compressed bale usually lasts me whole year.

 

[K0k0shka]

I use deep bedding (not deep litter) and absolutely love it! I use pine shavings as the bedding material and clean it twice a year. It doesn't smell, in any season. I have hot, humid summers and frigid winters here. It does just fine. I love how lazy but effective it is! Especially because I don't bother with poop boards. So nothing to clean except the deep clean twice a year. Highly recommend.

 

[K0k0shka]

The chicken gumdrops do fall into the deep bedding

I've come across this term a couple of times now (probably all by you) and it makes me grin every time