deep litter

I want to use the deep litter method for bedding and then eventually transfer it to my compost bin or garden But I also want to make a dust bath and maybe leave it outside the coop. I heard this is good for mites etc. This includes using garden lime. But I heard this was not good to use I if...

Hi! My name is Jess, an Oregonian and am excited to join the BYC group- I utilized this site so much during my preparation an early stages of chickens and had the realization that I should join :) happy to be here! Hoping to find info on deep litter method & ideas on birds of prey protection...

Hi all, Getting ready for winter and was wondering if anyone does the deep litter method for their duck house? I’m looking on doing a modified one for 3-4 months (through winter) to get a bit more warmth in the duck’s house. But they produce more moisture than chickens so the ammonia smell can...

Hello! We purchased a home that has three large sheds, previously used for housing chihuahuas, which the past owners bred and raised. I am converting one shed into a chicken coop. My question is about litter options. The shed has a concrete floor. I would like to use the deep littler method but...

I am going to be implementing a deep litter method for our coop. I converted an old shed with plywood flooring. I don’t want to put the bedding on that directly since the deep litter method will cause it to rot more quickly. Also, it’s too complicated to cut out the floor of the shed (it’s...

Hey all, As a flower farmer, I have lots of leftover flower and herb offcuts that I'd like to recycle into my quail enclosure as litter or stem hidey hole teepees etc. I'm using the deep litter method and trying to make their habitat as safe and comfortable as possible. I have read up on the...

Hi, I've been using the deep litter method with hemp bedding. I'm looking for a more local (in-state or PNW area) to purchase hemp bedding. I want to stock up, but I am having issues locating a seller in Oregon or the PNW in general. When first starting with our chickens I purchased hemp...

Hello! My family and I built our dream chicken coop and run, which took about 6 months of weekends. It’s the biggest thing we’ve built, and we learned a lot. I wanted to share progress photos! You might notice I did my level best to copy parts of the Carolina coop. :) Overall, I’m happy...

Hi there, I am building a permanent deep litter run, about 7m2 in area, excluding the coop. Unfortunately this is the biggest I can make it due to difficult terrain and huge boulders. I was wondering if two chickens would be happier, with more space, or if three chickens would be happier...

Hi folks! Has anyone used sweet coop or doo kashi with the deep litter method? I am just starting out as a first time chick mama. As soon as the weather is a tad warmer here in northern Mass/Vermont, I’m going to be cleaning out the inherited coop and using deep litter. I am very interested...

This is my first time posting but I’ve been here often. Thank you for all the great answers! I’m a first time chicken keeper. I have 3 silkie bantams and 2 silked Easter Eggers. I tried to attach a picture of the coop that I have. Hopefully it worked. I now know these prefab coops probably...

Hi all! I'm a major beginner (we got our 3 ~150 day old chickens 1 week ago) and have taken 100% of my guidance from my brother/sister in law. We have a small prefab coop with 2 nesting boxes and a pull out drawer to collect poop under the roost. I had planned to apply the deep litter method as...

Hello. I have a burning question about the deep litter method, and I have been researching on BYC and many other sources but this particular topic is not showing up. I started using the Deep Litter Method for my flock of 4 (was 5, until we realized we had a cockerel) in a 4'×8' raised coop with...

Hi All! We recently purchased a deluxe coop from a company in Lancaster, PA. One of the features I was most excited about was the SmartCoop automatic door. When we kept chickens some years ago in a coop I built, it was a challenge to make sure that the roost box door was closed on Winter...

Hello. My run is covered but the sides are open. That's where my chicks sleep (and poop)... not inside the coop. Will the composting process work in an open air run? The run space is small and the floor is dirt; therefore I am shoveling every other day. When it rains, the water drains quickly as...

Hello, I am a new chicken person in Portland, OR with three 8 wk old chickens (an Ameraucana, Welsummer, and Blue laced Red Wyandotte). I am building the 9x5 "garden coop" (http://www.thegardencoop.com) with hardwire walls and top and a polycarbonate roof above and setting it on a 2' concrete...

I have an a-frame coop in two halves that's mounted on casters. Currently, the coop has hardware cloth on the bottom with mulch-filled metal trays over about half the floor space. I'm interested in converting this to the deep litter (or "deep bedding" as I've seen in called this forum) method...

Can you make any suggestions to improve on this? ================================= DESIGN GOAL .... 1st design attempt... small urban yard....variable climate...central Pennsylvania.... goal is 10-12 hens. The coop will be about 5x7 inside though this isn't locked in yet. I decided on...

Hi! I'm Emily, and I have 5 12-week old pullets. They stay in the run most of the day, which is aprx 95sq feet. (fenced in because we live in the countryside-suburbs) I have heard that the deep litter method can amount to up to 12 inches of compost, and I just don't know if there is enough...

I have made a couple of 40-gal batches of charcoal lately and added it to a small section of chicken run deep litter for the purpose of chicken enjoyment and making/incorporating biochar in a future compost. Crashed to powder by foot traffic, even after thorough water hosing, the charcoal...