deep litter method

I'm in the Midwest and we just made it through a nasty blizzard but the Temps are still crazy low, it's -14 right now with a real feel of -29. I've been super worried about the girls but they seem to be hanging in there ok. We use deep litter method and I heard it adds a little warmth in the...

(Background: My husband and I picked up Three RIRs 3 weeks ago from a great breeder and they were and are thriving. Then last week we decided to get some Barred Rocks 6 week olds two to add to our flock. The birds conditions didnt seem as great ? We got them from a Craigslist post vs the 2 hr...

I am in my last days of coop build and will have to finally decide on a coop floor for my deep litter method chicken coop. The current floor is 3/4" OSB. I am trying to decide if I should cover the floor with some cheap linoleum, or some sacrificial 7/16" OSB wood floor. If anyone has some...

Hi all-I have been raising chicks since they were 1 week, now 15 weeks. We just added sand to the run so we can use the deep litter method. They all seem freaked out about it for some reason. We let them free range during the day 5/7 days a week and they were very scared to go in the run/coop...

Hey there folks. I've been doing a ton of research in order to build a duck house. When I came across deep litter I liked the idea, but there doesn't seem to be much info on it in regards to ducks. I read the thread at...

Hey all, so I've been unsuccessful in finding a whole lot of discussion besides just disjointed musings on someone combining a tractor with deep litter. Important points and needs: :loveI like the chicksaw 2.0 design by Justin Rhodes but it's pretty easily torn up by all the fun wildlife out...

I'm in Central Maryland and about to start building my run. The only available place in my yard is an 8' x 22' strip of concrete. My coop is a converted wood storage shed that is 5' x 8'. I don't have great drainage in that area but will be implementing some plans including a perforated drain...

I am not a new chicken mom and have used the BYC site as a resource but am just now getting around to registering. I live in NE Tennessee and have four Comet hens. We moved here from North Central Florida three years ago where I had four Buff Orpingtons for six years. I can't lie...I loved my...

I am considering the deep litter method for my coop, however, in the UAE when it rains, it rains very hard. It rains a few unpredictable times a year(roughly 2-4 times). My question how will the deep litter method be affected by rain. And even more importantly, is it possible to do with sand...

I love the deep litter method I am using in my existing coop. It has a dirt floor. We are moving and I am purchasing a 10 x 12 shed and upfitting it for a coop. I plan on putting linoleum on the floor. Can I use the deep litter method with this set up? If so, can someone please walk me through...

I am interested in doing the Deep Litter Method in my run. I live in South Florida and have been experiencing a large amount of rain this summer; just a bit more than usual. My run is pretty muddy and instead of filling in the water-recessed areas with more dirt, I would like to get some insight...

Hi all- Advanced aplogies, newbie here with lots of questions... I live in Charleston, which is called the "lowcountry" for a reason. I recently built a coop in my yard with a 5'x10' run. During a heavy rain last week, about 1/2 of the run flooded about 2 inches. As I just constructed the...

Hi! I have four 13-week old EEs and live in SoCal, where the weather is always sunny. In the summer however, the temp goes from a consistent 85-90 to the occasional 100+. The shaded 8x8x8 run is currently sits on a large flat area of playground sand which I tried to convert into DLM by...

Hi! We got our chicks (and two ducklings!) about 2.5 weeks ago, and so far everything is going really well! We had them in a kiddie pool in the heated garage (still had a heat lamp to make sure it was comfortable for them), but we just finished building our coop and moved them in on Friday! They...

hi all, I’m building a new coop at my future home and would like to use the deep litter method like I have in the coop that came with my current home. It was built in the olden days on a dirt floor. has anyone done this? What all do I need to know to build it this way? Does anyone NOT recommend...

I have been reading a lot about the deep litter method, as well as using dry leaves. I raked up leaves last year and shredded and bagged them. I had intended on using them in my compost but only ended up using a bit. I still have 4 bags sitting in my shed that are over a year old. Question...

I've really wrestled with creating the roost and what to do about a poop board. The coop is small, so efficiency is important. I'm using pine needles and leaves for deep litter. The poop board seems unnecessary, as @JackE says in another discussion, since the idea with deep litter is allowing...

I started deep litter several years ago using the methods that everyone claims to have had success using. It' didn't work for me, it smelled clumped/matted was a ton of work and didn't look like I was doing my chickens a service by using it. I tried straw first and noticed that it made a thick...

I'm in the middle of building a new coop (the Heather Bullard design) and have a question about the "ground floor". There is an elevated nesting and laying area, but then a larger screened in area they can go out into where the food and water will be. The entire coop with be enclosed in a...