Deep Litter or Deep Bedding in chick brooder

[DC_WIngnut]

Hello all!

I’ve come across a few videos that mention doing deep litter in the chick brooder but they don’t give too much detail. I’d like to use the method if possible but I’m curious if other people have experience with it.

I’m brooding laying hens, indoors for the first 4-6 weeks and have a 3’x6’x3’ chick tent for 15 little gals. I have access to hemp or pine/aspen shavings for bedding. I’m also planning to train them to drink from chick nipple drinkers which I have heard cuts down on a lot of the spillage that soils the bedding in the first place beside their poo.

Once we have some nice days around week 3-4 I’ll start taking them on little outdoor field trips and hopefully by week 6 start the process of coop introduction as long as we don’t have any extreme temp drops at night. Have any of you done the deep litter method in a brooder?

Thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

You're mainly asking about deep bedding, which from my experience doesn't work so great with chicks because a typical brooder simply can't hold the litter volume needed to pull it off - can't put in 4" of bedding and not have chicks just disappear into it. Plus chicks are poop machines and any food or water spillage (i.e. you will need to use vertical nipples for young chicks, and they're more likely to drip) will turn the brooder into a funky stink bomb without regular clean outs.

That said, I do use true deep litter in my brooder... but that's because my brooder is outdoors. Pros are zero clean up and almost zero maintenance, cons are... well, it needs to be outdoors, because unlike deep bedding, deep litter relies on moisture, microbes in the soil and existing litter, and aeration (via a variety of size and type of organic material) to compost down the poop.

 

[Florida4evr]

Hello all!

I’ve come across a few videos that mention doing deep litter in the chick brooder but they don’t give too much detail. I’d like to use the method if possible but I’m curious if other people have experience with it.

I’m brooding laying hens, indoors for the first 4-6 weeks and have a 3’x6’x3’ chick tent for 15 little gals. I have access to hemp or pine/aspen shavings for bedding. I’m also planning to train them to drink from chick nipple drinkers which I have heard cuts down on a lot of the spillage that soils the bedding in the first place beside their poo.

Once we have some nice days around week 3-4 I’ll start taking them on little outdoor field trips and hopefully by week 6 start the process of coop introduction as long as we don’t have any extreme temp drops at night. Have any of you done the deep litter method in a brooder?

Thanks!

I am a newbie and researching the same method. These videos were very informative.

 

[Paz]

I personally think you should just put them in washed (so it’s not salty) sea sand and clean the upper layers like cat litter box. At least that’s what I plan to do, please tell me if that’s a shitty plan.

 

[JoGal1-5]

Hello all!

I’ve come across a few videos that mention doing deep litter in the chick brooder but they don’t give too much detail. I’d like to use the method if possible but I’m curious if other people have experience with it.

I’m brooding laying hens, indoors for the first 4-6 weeks and have a 3’x6’x3’ chick tent for 15 little gals. I have access to hemp or pine/aspen shavings for bedding. I’m also planning to train them to drink from chick nipple drinkers which I have heard cuts down on a lot of the spillage that soils the bedding in the first place beside their poo.

Once we have some nice days around week 3-4 I’ll start taking them on little outdoor field trips and hopefully by week 6 start the process of coop introduction as long as we don’t have any extreme temp drops at night. Have any of you done the deep litter method in a brooder?

Thanks!

I am researching the same idea of deep litter method for my brooder. I see that you asked this question almost a year ago. I wanted to see if you tried it and what success you have had.As a matter of fact, I am planning the very same things you have said in your comment. It's pretty amazing! We must have been finding the same resources.

I'm planning on using the deep litter with industrial hemp, using nipple drinkers instead of the standard waterer for chicks, and using a chick tent as a brooder. I also plan on introducing the chicks outside and into the chicken run around 3 weeks or so and begin the process of transitioning them outdoors by 6 weeks. Please tell me how you have fared with your plan. I'd like to see if you have gained your own wisdom to share. Thank you!