What to use for cleaning shavings

[Rammy]

I have gone to the deep litter method this year instead of using straw, which I used in the past. Right now Im trying to use just a cat litter scoop to scoop up the droppings but this has proven to be time consuming and tedious. Using a regular rake for stalls doesnt work because the droppings fall through. Does anyone else use the deep litter method and waht do you use to clean the shavings? Thanks.


Rammy

 

[showme69]

I'm new to all this and don't even have chickens yet, but from what I've read, my understanding of the DLM is you don't clean the droppings out. You mix them in the shavings and add some new shavings on top once in awhile. Over several months, the bottom layers compost naturally, which also helps heat the coop a little in the cold months.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1560-DLM

 

[mississippifarmboy]

That's right. I do clean out from under the roost poles about once a month, but I only have to clean the full coop in spring and fall.

 

[ndemerly]

A good scoop shovel would probably work well.

 

[booker81]

Yup, minimal/no cleaning.

I have about 8" or so of shavings, placed in there in May. I just use a pitchfork to "fluff" it and mix in the droppings under the roost board, and throw a few handfuls of BOSS down so the chickens do the rest of the mixing for me.

Minimal smell, every couple months I'll throw another bag of shavings in. The plan is to haul it all out in May and start it again.

 

[gryeyes]

Every now and then, I rake up the bigger clumps into a bucket for the compost pile. Then I toss in a couple scoops of DE, toss in some more pine shavings, and that's it until semi-annual total clean-out.

Sometimes I toss some BOSS into the coop so the chickens will do a bit more scratching in there. They'll mix the litter up by themselves.

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
This about sums up what I've been doing for the last 15- 20 years, except I have a long tined stall fork that I use to fluff stuff up. I will, if the shavings get really compacted and wet around the waterer, toss them out onto the garden during a warm spell in the winter otherwise they'll stay there until April just before I rototill the garden, then I'll do a down-to-the-bare-floor clean out and start again. Usually there us quite a compact mass under the roosts but once you break through the outer crust it is all well composted. The process will add some heat during the winter as well.

 

[Dixiedoodle]

I use the deep litter method. I clean the dropping board daily w/ cat little scoops.. It only takes a min. or two to clean it up.. Then I take a leaf rake and rake it around ..just scratching the top and turning the shavings over.. the leaf rake will rake up much of it in to a pile and I just scoop up the larger pcs..

 

[Kansaseq]

Quote:
I don't use the deep litter method, but do try to make my shavings last as long as possible. I've used a pooper scooper in the past, but that doesn't work the best, either, especially if your coop isn't tall enough to stand up in.
I bought a manure picker, but the poop balls fall through the tines. What about taking a piece of hardware cloth and wiring it to the manure fork? Would make the spaces smaller , and might work? I've contemplated it many times, but never got around to trying it.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
This about sums up what I've been doing for the last 15- 20 years, except I have a long tined stall fork that I use to fluff stuff up. I will, if the shavings get really compacted and wet around the waterer, toss them out onto the garden during a warm spell in the winter otherwise they'll stay there until April just before I rototill the garden, then I'll do a down-to-the-bare-floor clean out and start again. Usually there us quite a compact mass under the roosts but once you break through the outer crust it is all well composted. The process will add some heat during the winter as well.

pretty much what I do, but I tend to clean it out twice a year as I have a dirt floor. I send the DH in every month or so and have him shovel out the larger piles under the roosts. I toss fling in DE and some scratch and let the chicens do the fluffing for me. No problem with odors or flies all summer long. Just the occasional stupid mouse that ends up getting eaten if spotted by by the girls.