If you keep backyard chickens, you may have heard of the Deep Litter method for chicken coops and wondered if it would be right for your flock. Deep Litter can be controversial, but once you know how it works, it’s a great way to keep your chickens safe and warm. Plus, it means you’re scooping a lot less chicken poop!
What is Deep Litter Anyway?
Deep Litter for chicken coops is not composting, and it’s not the chicken equivalent of cat litter. Properly managed, Deep Litter creates its own biome, destroys the harmful bacteria that lead to unhealthy hens, keeps your chickens warmer in winter, and gives you an endless source of rich compost for your garden. It also makes for a sweeter smelling chicken coop.
The Deep Litter method works by creating an environment for the sanitary decomposition of your chickens’ poop. Regular turning of deep layers of a carbon-based litter (such as pine shavings) allows the poop to break down quickly. Added bonuses include heat from the process, keeping the coop warm in winter, and the microbes responsible for the decomposition produce Vitamins B12 and K which the chickens ingest as they scratch and pick through the litter.
The composting process has three main phases. Initially, the temperature of the litter starts to rise over a couple of days. This is followed by a high-temperature phase, which can last from a few days to several months. Then comes a cooling and maturation phase as the litter becomes more like garden compost. If you start your Deep Litter in the spring, your chickens should benefit from warm litter by autumn.
How Do You Create A Deep Litter Coop?
It’s important to start with a clean, dry, empty chicken coop. To prepare your coop, you can use hot soapy water; you don’t need to use disinfectant. When the coop is fresh and dry, add more pine shavings than you would have imagined necessary. You need a layer of shavings at least four to six inches deep. You can add a layer of straw, but pine shavings are fine by themselves.
Twice a week, stir up the shavings and the chicken poop with a rake or shovel and add another layer of pine shavings and/or straw. This aerates the litter and prevents it from compacting or getting into wet, caked layers. Your chickens will help this process by scratching up the pine shavings naturally, and you can encourage them by tossing in some treats like scratch or corn for them to forage. Aerating the litter like this adds oxygen, aiding in decomposition.
After a few weeks, the litter and chicken poop will start to decompose, and you will see what looks like a layer of fine dirt on the bottom of the coop.
Aim to add at least one inch of fresh pine shavings per month.
How Do the Chickens Benefit?
Deep Litter living has a number of benefits for your flock:
- They get exercise and mental stimulation from scratching for food and treats through the litter.
- They are kept warm and dry throughout the year.
- The beneficial microbes that break down the chicken poop destroy harmful bacteria and will prevent lice and mite infestations.
- Deep Litter microbes also destroy pathogens, including the potentially deadly parasite that causes coccidiosis.
- Deep Litter will help boost your chickens’ immune systems.
But Doesn’t It Smell?
The litter should never smell of ammonia. If it starts to smell, add more litter, and make sure your chicken coop is getting adequate ventilation. Ammonia is a poisonous gas, and any build-up can kill your chickens.
If your Deep Litter smells bad, there’s something wrong. Most likely there’s not enough litter, or you’re not turning it enough. To be done properly, you should have up to a foot-deep layer of litter across the whole of the coop floor with fresh, dry litter on the top.
The only smell should be a warm earthy smell, not unpleasant at all. Keep an eye on areas around waterers to make sure any water spills are dispersed quickly. If any section of the litter looks whitish or ashy, that means it lacks oxygen and should be broken up and turned.
When Should I Clean the Coop?
You can clean out the chickens’ coop once or twice a year, though some people who use Deep Litter never completely empty their coop. Rather like using a sourdough starter, they keep a bottom layer of active litter to jump-start the next season’s layers.
If you want to clean out your coop, rake or shovel out the litter and put it on your compost heap to decay further before using it in your garden. Straight manure is full of nitrogen and is too hot to use straight on your plants. Using the Deep Litter method for your chickens will lead to a happier, healthier flock and much less labor for you!
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References
- https://thefrugalchicken.com/does-the-deep-litter-method-for-chicken-coops-really-work/
- https://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/deep-litter-method-zb0z1208zmat
- https://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2012/02/deep-litter-methodcoop-cleaning.html
- https://the-chicken-chick.com/the-deep-litter-method-of-waste/
- https://backyardchickenproject.com/what-in-the-world-is-deep-litter-deep-litter-method-faq/
- https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/deep-litter-method-the-easiest-way-to-deal-with-chicken-litter-dlm.47740/
- https://www.thespruce.com/keep-chicken-coop-smelling-clean-fresh-3016827
- https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/coops/using-the-deep-litter-method-in-the-coop/
- http://www.plamondon.com/wp/deep-litter-chicken-coops/