Need specific info on Deep Litter Bedding Method

[AmazingRachel]

My coop is 6 x 4 ft. with a 1 x .5 ft. vent 8 inches above the floor and two 1 x .5 ft. vents about two feet above the roost. I'm trying to get the best ventilation possible so that the Deep Litter Method works.
I plan on using pine shavings and I currently have 7 chickens.

I heard that you start out with 3 inches of bedding, turn it a couple times a week, and add an inch of bedding once a month. Is this correct and will it work for me?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I think you will be too cold for any composting to be going on this time of year. Deep litter also requires contact with the soil. I would give them deep bedding, but not try to do actual deep litter in a frozen climate. If you warm above freezing for long periods it may work, but frozen stuff doesn't compost.

 

[AmazingRachel]

I think you will be too cold for any composting to be going on this time of year. Deep litter also requires contact with the soil. I would give them deep bedding, but not try to do actual deep litter in a frozen climate. If you warm above freezing for long periods it may work, but frozen stuff doesn't compost.

I thought it works in the winter and it doesn't need contact with soil. I live in a zone 6 climate so it isn't that extreme of a climate.

 

[lazy gardener]

Deep litter CAN work without soil contact. But, it is much more successful if it has soil contact. If you are able to inoculate it with active compost or soil, that will help immensely. It is also much more successful if you use less "woody" materials. I find that leaves, and grass clippings work far better than shavings. I never use shavings unless I'm brooding chicks, or unless I've run out of stashed leaves. In such a small coop, you will be hard pressed to do a true composting deep litter. But, you can certainly manage a deep litter, and keep topping it off for weeks at a time. How tall is your coop? That is going to have a huge bearing on your success.

Starting a DL in the coop is going to be a difficult endeavor in the winter.

Rachel, I'd get through this winter, then see about converting to a DL, using leaves grass clippings, and hay, garden debris, inoculate it well with some soil and compost and see how it does for you in the summer. In the mean time, any time you take litter out of your coop, add it to the DL in your run, if that's an option. Enjoy!

 

[AmazingRachel]

Deep litter CAN work without soil contact. But, it is much more successful if it has soil contact. If you are able to inoculate it with active compost or soil, that will help immensely. It is also much more successful if you use less "woody" materials. I find that leaves, and grass clippings work far better than shavings. I never use shavings unless I'm brooding chicks, or unless I've run out of stashed leaves. In such a small coop, you will be hard pressed to do a true composting deep litter. But, you can certainly manage a deep litter, and keep topping it off for weeks at a time. How tall is your coop? That is going to have a huge bearing on your success.

Starting a DL in the coop is going to be a difficult endeavor in the winter.

Rachel, I'd get through this winter, then see about converting to a DL, using leaves grass clippings, and hay, garden debris, inoculate it well with some soil and compost and see how it does for you in the summer. In the mean time, any time you take litter out of your coop, add it to the DL in your run, if that's an option. Enjoy!

Got it. I've got a compost pile in my yard and I'll use staw. My coop can hold about 6-7 inches of litter (that's how how the opening and egg laying boxes are.
For this winter, should I go the route of using pine shavings and cleaning it out every week or could I clean it out every two weeks? (taking into the account the coop size, number of chickens, and amount of ventilation).
My chief concerns are ammonia build up and frostbite due to moisture.

Question: Would DL work in a run? Mine is covered and with a nice sized soffit. It's 12 x 6 ft. and it can take on 4-5 inches of litter.

 

[lazy gardener]

Absolutely use DL in your run. As for your coop, only you and your assessment skills can determine how you handle that.