I use the deep litter method mostly to reduce the work load and it is very efficient. My coop is elevated so it insulates the floor, it gives the birds a place to scratch and it reduces the odor as it speeds the drying of the waste.
I do have plastic tubs under the roosts which help contain the majority of the poop and makes it easier to turn the manure into fertilizer without going onto the compost pile. I clean the coop twice a year, Spring & Fall. The manure from the bins goes around my fruit trees in the Fall (while the trees are dormant) which gives the manure time to process the nitrogen and theoretically helps protect the base of my fruit trees as it decomposes. In the Spring, the manure gets applied to the garden or pasture as needed. The litter, spring & fall is applied to the pasture.
I use shredded papper as my base litter simply because I am to cheap to buy litter. It does a fair job of absorbing moisture and it breaks down fine as it is composted, but to much can cause clumping. I also use shredded paper in my nest boxes and I rarely have to add shredded paper after the initial layer as the girls do that for me as they get in and out of the nest boxes. I do "stir" the nest box over flow through out as needed as well as adding papper to the nest boxes as they get low.
I do have plastic tubs under the roosts which help contain the majority of the poop and makes it easier to turn the manure into fertilizer without going onto the compost pile. I clean the coop twice a year, Spring & Fall. The manure from the bins goes around my fruit trees in the Fall (while the trees are dormant) which gives the manure time to process the nitrogen and theoretically helps protect the base of my fruit trees as it decomposes. In the Spring, the manure gets applied to the garden or pasture as needed. The litter, spring & fall is applied to the pasture.
I use shredded papper as my base litter simply because I am to cheap to buy litter. It does a fair job of absorbing moisture and it breaks down fine as it is composted, but to much can cause clumping. I also use shredded paper in my nest boxes and I rarely have to add shredded paper after the initial layer as the girls do that for me as they get in and out of the nest boxes. I do "stir" the nest box over flow through out as needed as well as adding papper to the nest boxes as they get low.