Why Do You Use Deep Bedding/Why Do You NOT Use Deep Bedding?

[Tre3hugger]

I only clean out my 12' by 18' chicken barn once a year if even. It has a dirt floor so I only add bedding if the dirt gets muddy. Would this be considered deep litter?

I think this is deep bedding that you are doing. Seems like semantics but for discussion purpose I think deep litter doesn't have a dirt floor, and doesn't really compost in place. Deep bedding is typically done on a dirt floor, allowing the bedding to compost in place. Requires less, if any, total clean outs. Hope I cleared this up and didn't add to any confusion. Someone PLEASE correct me if I am wrong.

 

[feather13]

All of the arguments for deep bedding/litter are really convincing. We use a less popular bedding/flooring: sand . Our reasons are, honestly, mostly aesthetic. We live in southern California where, like the Albert Hammond song, it rarely rains and is warm almost year-round, so it hasn't gotten totally gross yet (although the sand has been in the coop and run less than a year). We put wood shaving pads in the nesting boxes, but sand everywhere else. All but two of our chickens roost year round outside in the covered run, so the coop never gets smelly and is open on one entire side anyway.

I just really love how sand looks and I don't mind cleaning every day (we only have thirteen chickens and they free range during the day, so it's not too bad). Even when we had pine shavings (which got *everywhere* and was a mess) or just a plain dirt floor, I cleaned the coop everyday. I find sand pretty easy to clean with a long handled cat litter scoop compared to picking up the soiled shavings with gloves. We have a compost bin, but there's no way it would be able to accommodate the accumulated waste with the deep bedding method.

 

[ackie]

I think this is deep bedding that you are doing. Seems like semantics but for discussion purpose I think deep litter doesn't have a dirt floor, and doesn't really compost in place. Deep bedding is typically done on a dirt floor, allowing the bedding to compost in place. Requires less, if any, total clean outs. Hope I cleared this up and didn't add to any confusion. Someone PLEASE correct me if I am wrong.

I have a dirt floor so I guess I'm in deep bedding then

 

[SpotTheCat]

I think this is deep bedding that you are doing. Seems like semantics but for discussion purpose I think deep litter doesn't have a dirt floor, and doesn't really compost in place. Deep bedding is typically done on a dirt floor, allowing the bedding to compost in place. Requires less, if any, total clean outs. Hope I cleared this up and didn't add to any confusion. Someone PLEASE correct me if I am wrong.

I thought it was the over way round?
Deep litter composting
Deep bedding non composting

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I am not sure mine is deep enough to call “deep”. I’ve recently moved the ladies to a new coop that has 10x10’ of floor space and I find that they dig enough to move everything (pine shavings) to the edges. I usually add more pine shavings every 2-3 days. There’s a out a foot of shavings on the edges, but 0-2” of shavings in the center before adding more. I use a poop board and scoop poop every morning. I also walk around and scoop any large poops from the pine shavings 1-2x a day. They’ve been in this coop for about three weeks, and with the bad weather they spend all or most of the day in the coop which is probably why they are so digging so much.

 

[ackie]

Regardless, I do it because I'm lazy.

I was already just adding new pine straw on top of old pine straw before I found out it was a method.

I dont use poop boards.

 

[3KillerBs]

I like your description on first post, might also define deep litter to show the difference....not that all will register the diff.

That's a good idea.

but I use poop boards, which makes the pine shavings on floor last even longer.

I personally don't want the work of having to deal with poop boards regularly. I am, however, going to focus on small coops where there isn't really room for poop boards anyway.

I have only really found that to be a problem the one time I used regular old straw for bedding. The straw cakes were THICK.

Yes, I've tried just straw in the coop based on old-timers' recommendations and found that it matted horribly. But a mix of straw and shavings stays fluffy better than either alone.

If teen child sees a mountain of poop laden shavings, teen will avoid the work and will be much less likely to turn bedding or to remove it all.

I have teens, but I do my own coop cleaning. Still that makes perfect sense.

I'm just too OCD to use the deep litter method. I clean the coop out every weekend and give it a super good cleaning every couple months.

May I ask, in all respect and in search of information rather than in an attempt to convince you to change your practices, what it is, exactly, that makes you want to clean so often? Distaste for the idea of manure building up? Sometime else?

It has a dirt floor so I only add bedding if the dirt gets muddy. Would this be considered deep litter?

I think that it can't really be called deep bedding if you're not actually using bedding in a systematic fashion.

I think this is deep bedding that you are doing. Seems like semantics but for discussion purpose I think deep litter doesn't have a dirt floor, and doesn't really compost in place. Deep bedding is typically done on a dirt floor, allowing the bedding to compost in place.

I'm sorry, but you've got it backwards.

Deep bedding is a dry, non-composting system that can be done on any type of floor.

Deep litter is a moist, composting system that is best done on a dirt floor (but which *can* be done on other floors with sufficient intensive management).

 

[ButtonHoarder]

I use the deep bedding method because I save bedding, and I don't have to clean it that often. We also live in a very cold area, so the warmer the better

 

[RoyalChick]

I do a mix of deep bedding and deep litter. I use leaves (free) and sometimes top up with pine shavings if it is hard to access the leaves (like now when everything is under more than 2' of snow.
My floors are dirt but in the coop it keeps everything so dry I don't think it will ever rot down, so I guess that is deep bedding.
I am also on a steep slope so the chickens work the bedding down hill and eventually when I open the human door between the coop and the run everything spills out into the run. It is 'self cleaning'!
The run is covered, but gets enough moisture that composting occurs. Eventually the idea is I can transport compost from the run to fertilize the garden - but honestly it all rots down to almost nothing so my yield for the garden is rather low.
Reason for me is idleness and I like the automatic self sustaining nature of it - 'just add leaves and ignore'.
A secondary benefit is that it is nice and springy so probably good for their feet when they land. And as it is leaves there is always something interesting for them to find.

 

[3KillerBs]

I thought it was the over way round?
Deep litter composting
Deep bedding non composting

Yes, this is correct.

I am not sure mine is deep enough to call “deep”. I’ve recently moved the ladies to a new coop that has 10x10’ of floor space and I find that they dig enough to move everything (pine shavings) to the edges. I usually add more pine shavings every 2-3 days. There’s a out a foot of shavings on the edges, but 0-2” of shavings in the center before adding more.

If you're letting it build up and not clearing it out before adding more I'd call it deep bedding.

Regardless, I do it because I'm lazy.

I was already just adding new pine straw on top of old pine straw before I found out it was a method.

I'm not ashamed to say that I chose a method of chickenkeeping that minimized the daily workload. I'd rather have a big job a few times a year (scheduled for nice weather on a day off work), then a smaller job every few days or every week.

I had no idea I was doing a "forest floor" in the run with my in-town flock until a couple years after the in-town flock was in the freezer.