Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[WAhoneybadger]

Hello I'm new here. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on using the deep litter method in western Washington for a 10x5 run area. It will have solid roof with hardware mesh siding. Not sure if it's too wet/damp here for this method?

 

[ValerieJ]

Hi @WAhoneybadger. Welcome to Washington and to BYC!!

We don't use the deep litter method, but I think if we did it would work just fine. It doesn't get wet inside the coop, which has both an indoor and an outside space. (8x10 inside and 10x12 outside). I also thought that could be an issue in this soggy state, but it hasn't been. The outside portion of the coop is a dirt floor and they scratch, dig and turn over the dirt constantly, so there hasn't been a need for deep litter, but I wouldn't hesitate to use it if I needed to. I like having the dirt there because they can dust bathe even during the rainy days and seasons. When it's not raining, they are out in the fenced in orchard and only go in to eat, lay an egg or go to sleep.

Hope that answers your question. Someone else may have tried it and can give you a better answer.

Do you have your chickens yet? What will or do you have?

 

[WindyRoost]

Anyone here know which hatchery Wilco uses? I was able to find my chicks at the one in Kelso a few weeks ago but I forgot to ask. The line was long, but worth the wait. All healthy so far! Mostly just asking out of curiosity and to try and verify the reliability of the breeds I chose. Thanks!!

When I called Kelso last month they told me (I hope I remember accurately!) they use Hoover and McMurray and at least one more in Oregon. I think the Battle Ground Wilco is similar but not exact.

 

[Hinotori]

Hello I'm new here. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on using the deep litter method in western Washington for a 10x5 run area. It will have solid roof with hardware mesh siding. Not sure if it's too wet/damp here for this method?

Welcome!

You probably will need to wrap sides (at least wind sides) to keep excess rain out. Otherwise it does fine. I used deep littler in my 8x15 large fowl coop. Dirt floor. Very high water table in winter. The bit of dampness inside just invited things like worms, wood lice, and other insects to move in. Turned more into a live composting system on me. I'd toss in shavings occasionally. Poops under the roost were gone in a couple days so there was never much there. I only removed any in spring for fertilizer and not too much.

After the first year, when it was established, I never had dampness anywhere near the surface and no smell. No flies either.

If I had to restart it, I'd put down a lot more pellets than I did originally and layer it with stall dry. Then the shavings. Think that was my issue that first winter. Not enough material down.

As is, as soon as I get new chicks, I'll move them and my couple survivors back into that pen. Should be good to go.

My silkie pens are probably closer to the run you're doing. They are basically covered runs with houses for silkies to sleep in. I just add a thick straw layer in fall. I have to top up after a few months. Straw will only last 3-4 months for me before it's composted. It does slowly raise the soil level in there, which is good. Silkies are fully wrapped in winter with greenhouse tarps to keep all rain out and warmth in.

Water seeps up from underneath because of my water table issue. Straw keeps the idiots from making mud soup to dunk their crests in, which they absolutely will. One has dished water out of the can in summer to do it.

 

[Hinotori]

Greetings all. I’m in shoreline wa, north of Seattle. Since Jenks hatchery in OR stopped selling broilers/cornish cross, does anyone have a local-ish source that they like for meat birds… trying to avoid shipping from the mid west.

Greetings!

I dont do meat birds so no help, sorry

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Hello I'm new here. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on using the deep litter method in western Washington for a 10x5 run area. It will have solid roof with hardware mesh siding. Not sure if it's too wet/damp here for this method?

I use sand--- I get bags of playground sand at homedepot. I use 20, my coop in 8X12.
I use a cat litter scoop to scoop under the roost everyday. Bugs dont like sand. I occasionally rake in wood ash from my wood stove and some diatomaceous earth. Sand does not stink if you keep it scooped.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Hello I'm new here. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on using the deep litter method in western Washington for a 10x5 run area. It will have solid roof with hardware mesh siding. Not sure if it's too wet/damp here for this method?

Welcome to the thread, feel free to visit the Porch for a morning sit and a cup of coffee
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sitn-on-the-porch.1297783/page-418#post-28494166
sand

 

[Cluckatar]

and how much is each chick?

I'm asking $10 per chick

 

[WAhoneybadger]

Welcome!

You probably will need to wrap sides (at least wind sides) to keep excess rain out. Otherwise it does fine. I used deep littler in my 8x15 large fowl coop. Dirt floor. Very high water table in winter. The bit of dampness inside just invited things like worms, wood lice, and other insects to move in. Turned more into a live composting system on me. I'd toss in shavings occasionally. Poops under the roost were gone in a couple days so there was never much there. I only removed any in spring for fertilizer and not too much.

After the first year, when it was established, I never had dampness anywhere near the surface and no smell. No flies either.

If I had to restart it, I'd put down a lot more pellets than I did originally and layer it with stall dry. Then the shavings. Think that was my issue that first winter. Not enough material down.

As is, as soon as I get new chicks, I'll move them and my couple survivors back into that pen. Should be good to go.

My silkie pens are probably closer to the run you're doing. They are basically covered runs with houses for silkies to sleep in. I just add a thick straw layer in fall. I have to top up after a few months. Straw will only last 3-4 months for me before it's composted. It does slowly raise the soil level in there, which is good. Silkies are fully wrapped in winter with greenhouse tarps to keep all rain out and warmth in.

Water seeps up from underneath because of my water table issue. Straw keeps the idiots from making mud soup to dunk their crests in, which they absolutely will. One has dished water out of the can in summer to do it.

Thank you for the ideas! I also was thinking maybe winter wrapping specific sides. I have garden beds and already compost so this is one of my main reasons that this sounds intriguing along with the idea of less cleaning and less odor if all goes well.

It was also recommended to me from a lady that worked at our local Tractor Supply to try the bedding pellets. She said she uses it in her run area. How thick of a layer do you think? I guess 6 inches total is about what I need to start it off. So the remaining would be the pine shavings I think. The stall dry, also new to me, seems to have Diatomacheous earth in it. I've read that would not be good for the microbes for composting which makes sense. I'm assuming they have some without it though also.

 

[Smokerbill]

Thank you for the ideas! I also was thinking maybe winter wrapping specific sides. I have garden beds and already compost so this is one of my main reasons that this sounds intriguing along with the idea of less cleaning and less odor if all goes well.

It was also recommended to me from a lady that worked at our local Tractor Supply to try the bedding pellets. She said she uses it in her run area. How thick of a layer do you think? I guess 6 inches total is about what I need to start it off. So the remaining would be the pine shavings I think. The stall dry, also new to me, seems to have Diatomacheous earth in it. I've read that would not be good for the microbes for composting which makes sense. I'm assuming they have some without it though also.

If you don't want to waste money buying bedding, use a 6 inch layer of arborist's wood chips over bare earth. Tree trimming services usually give them away and will often bring them to your place to dump a load.

I have 2 runs, both protected from direct rain with a metal roof. The inner run is bone dry all the time, but doesn't smell. The crap disappears as soon as it gets scratched into the chips by the birds.

The outer run gets moisture blown in from the sides so the chips are often moist. But that's good because it attracts worms and other critters for the chickens to dig after. I call the outer run the "day run".

The inner run is totally secured with hardware cloth, and the coop building is wide open on that side. A sliding door shuts them off from the day run during the night.

I also have only removed bedding to use as garden fertilizer. I've added new woodchips a few time to replenish the layer as it breaks down over time. It's been two years so far with the original chips I shoveled in.

Pics of my setup.