How to know if your deep litter method is working...

[miss_thenorth]

I cleaned out the chicken coop where I deep littered this winter.

I am pleased to report that it was a pleasant (as it can be) experience. No bad smells whatsoever. I do believe that is a sign that the deep litter method worked well.

On a side note--I used straw this year, as opposed the the wood shavings I used last year. Last year it was a STINKY ordeal.

So YAY!!!! I will be using straw next year again.

 

[TanksHill]

Good to hear, I might try the straw. The pine shavings allways seem a bit dusty to me. I think the real question is does the deep liter help those of you in cold climates keep the birds warm? I thought the idea was that the litter as it compost heats the coop. Does it really work???

 

[freemotion]

Hah, I just cleaned my coop this week and found an ancient egg buried very deeply in the back, under the roosts. It was scary. Held in gingerly on my pitchfork and walked carefully over to the fence near the woods and pitched it as far as I could. It EXPLODED!

The deepest litter, old leaves from last fall, was still dry and....leafy. I found that the poo tended to dry up rather then compost, though. Our winter was very cold and dry and they never spill their water.

No smell or ammonia, either

 

[miss_thenorth]

The straw and poop was fuly composted, but I did find a dead rat in with it when I was dumping the wheelbarrow. No rotten eggs though thankfully.

As far as the warmth from the composting, I really can't say one way or the other whether it creates enough heat to keep them warm. We had a cold winter here too, (about -20C). When the temps dip below -12C, I have a heat lamp on. with the heat lamp, none of my eggs froze this winter though. Last winter wasn't as cold, so I didn't have the heat lamp on as much, and found I had more frozen eggs. None of my hens got frostbite, my roo only got a bit on the tips of his comb. My theory about the deep litter is--it can't hurt.

 

[sylvie]

This is my first year with it and I'm sold.
Is now the time to clear it from the coop? I'm in northern Ohio.

 

[freemotion]

Whenever you feel like it! I just wanted to beat out spring chores, and sometimes you just need to work up a sweat. Plus, I'd found lots of fluffy pine needles that the girls had fluffed, so saw free bedding. It is lovely in the coop, btw.

You could wait until fall if it still looks good. Or whenever. That is the beauty of deep litter! You can wait until it is more composted, I'd just get it out of there if it starts to smell, or add more bedding. Fall is great, too, if you want to use leaves. Straw may be cheaper then, too, if you are near farms that harvest grain. When I was in ME, I could go glean the straw on the oat fields, so few farmers bothered to bale it.

 

[miss_thenorth]

This is my first year with it and I'm sold.
Is now the time to clear it from the coop? I'm in northern Ohio.

You're right across the lake from me. Just check your weather forecast, but I would say it is. We might still get some cold nights, but I don't think it will be really cold (like -12C) again. I figured now wa s good time--nice day, good time of year.

 

[keljonma]

This is my first year with it and I'm sold.
Is now the time to clear it from the coop? I'm in northern Ohio.

Sylvie, I usually wait until after the last snow-- April-ish. (or late May, like last year)

I like to take everything (not nailed down) out of the hen house and scrub the roosts and everything at the same time as putting in clean litter. Under the litter we have horse mats down, so we scrub them too before putting new litter in the hen house.

 

[TanksHill]

kel, do you do a lime wash or whatever that is on the inside? I remember reading about that. I have never done it though.

 

[amarook]

I read a great idea as far as cleaning out a coop, especially when using the deep litter system.

The author said they couldn't believe it when they were at a nursery and saw bagged chicken manure (I'm sure it was processed somehow. ) for gardeners to use.

"People pay for this stuff?!?!?"

So when it came time to clean out their coop after winter, they ran an ad in the local "free ads".

"Free Chicken Manure for your garden. You come get it such and such weekend."

They said by the end of the weekend the coop was clean, and they never had to touch a shovel.

I think that's an idea I'm going to try!