We’ve talked an entire lot in regards to the deep litter approach with fellow yard flock owners, nonetheless so many are confused in regards to the course of and anxious in regards to the well-being of their flock.
We’re appropriate correct proper right here to calm your nerves, put collectively you the suitable approach to make the most of the deep litter approach in your coop, and give you all our decisions and strategies to make it worthwhile!
What is the deep litter approach?
The deep litter approach is a system of rooster coop administration that is additional healthful to your flock, and less complicated for you, the rooster keeper.
This method consists of layering and mixing bedding supplies on the underside of the coop in a thick pile, which not solely saves you the work of ceaselessly cleaning out the coop, nonetheless makes good compost for the yard/
The chickens help with mixing up the litter as they resolve and scratch on the underside of the coop, which in flip exposes them to healthful microbes boosting their immune system, all whereas breaking down that bedding into gorgeous compost.
Why do it’s important to profit from the deep litter approach?
1. A Further healthful Flock
The deep litter approach, when carried out appropriately, is a gigantic correctly being booster to your flock. This method encourages healthful microbes contained within the coop, which may help forestall parasites and illness in your flock.
This method would possibly even make your coop hotter contained within the winter, due to the litter that’s breaking down on the underside will add heat to the coop, along with insulate the underside to protect in opposition to the chilly.
2. It Makes Rooster Holding Simpler
The deep litter approach is much less complicated on you, the rooster keeper!
With this method, you don’t should take time to wash out the coop every week. You merely give the current litter a flip with a pitchfork, and add new litter on excessive. With the enterprise of life, it’s so good to have one a lot loads a lot much less chore to do every week.
3. Bonus – Free Compost
This method is an environment friendly decision to present all that rooster bedding and poop into nitrogen-rich compost for the yard or your potted vegetation.
You gained’t should maintain any extra huge piles of slowly decomposing rooster bedding, attributable to this method turns all of it into compost proper on the coop floor.
How one can Implement the Deep Litter Methodology in Your Rooster Coop
Step 1
When first starting the deep litter approach, it’s most fascinating to start with a transparent slate, actually. Clear the rooster coop fully, pull out all earlier bedding, scrub the flooring, roosts, and nesting packing containers with cleansing cleaning cleansing cleaning soap and vinegar, and let the complete factor dry fully.
It’s essential to confirm the complete factor is dry forward of you add new bedding.
Subsequent, stack fashionable bedding on the underside so it’s not lower than six inches thick, nonetheless it’s maybe as a lot as 12 inches thick.
Step 2
The right layer of bedding will in the long term develop to be soiled from rooster waste. This will take just some days or per week, or extra, relying in your flock dimension and coop.
When the perfect layer is just not clear, it’s time to flip the bedding.
Use a rake or shovel and alter the bedding. You want to flip the perfect layer to the underside, so the stylish bedding beneath is now on excessive.
At this diploma, it’s possible you’ll add some new bedding to deal with the litter not lower than 6 inches deep and clear up the coop.
Step 3
When the perfect layer as rapidly as additional turns into soiled, flip the bedding and add extra fashionable bedding. You’re trying to on a regular basis maintain not lower than six inches of bedding on the underside of the coop, nonetheless extra is most attention-grabbing (12″) contained in the occasion you in all probability can maintain it.
The bedding should in no way be filthy, moist, or smelly.
In case you retain turning it and together with fashionable bedding, the coop should on a regular basis be clear, nonetheless deep down, that bedding is breaking down into compost.
Step 4:
Two or 3 occasions per yr, you’ll wish to wash out all that bedding and start over as rapidly as additional. We regularly do that contained within the spring, mid-summer, and late fall. Everytime you do a coop cleanout, depart just some inches of the earlier bedding on the underside of the coop.
This earlier bedding has microbes that gives you a head start in your subsequent spherical of deep litter.
Prime Concepts for the Deep Litter Methodology
Ventilate your coop
Make completely sure your coop has acceptable air circulation. This is not solely wanted for the deep litter approach nonetheless for the correctly being and wellness of your flock. The air can shortly fill with ammonia, moisture, and filth if there isn’t acceptable airflow contained within the coop.
You could merely add air circulation to your coop by drilling some small holes contained within the wall near the ceiling or together with a rodent-proof vent into the wall.
Choose the exact kind of litter
Various situations, after we’re requested in regards to the deep litter approach, of us assume we’re talking about cat litter.
Just for the file, in no way put cat litter in your rooster coop!
Litter merely refers once more to the kind of bedding on the underside of the coop.
The proper bedding for the deep litter system is pine shavings. They break down shortly and are ultra-absorbent.
We on a regular basis warning in opposition to using cedar shavings contained within the coop, attributable to they’re terribly aromatic, which can injury your chickens’ delicate respiratory capabilities.
Straw will work contained within the deep litter approach, nonetheless need to be turned extra incessantly due to it’s not as absorbent as shavings.
Shield an eye fixed mounted mounted mounted and nostril out for components
We’ve heard of many rooster keepers using the deep litter approach as an excuse to stop cleaning up after their chickens. Although this method is less complicated than commonplace weekly or be-weekly coop clean-outs, it’s nonetheless wanted that you simply simply merely make sure that the coop is apparent and healthful to your flock regularly.
The chickens should in no way be standing of their very non-public waste, the coop should in no way scent harmful, and shouldn’t be attracting nasty pests like flies.
Shield your nostril attuned to smells like rooster poop and ammonia. In case you scent them, that you would be able to add extra bedding and/or flip the bedding extra typically.
Moreover, defend a watchful eye in your flock. All through the occasion that they ever seem like lacking in correctly being, it’s elevated to scrap the deep litter system and start over than try to revive it whereas your chickens are struggling.
Widespread Questions Regarding the Deep Litter Methodology
How prolonged does it take the litter to interrupt down into compost?
That is decided by your native native climate, how typically you flip it, and what variety of chickens you may need. In case you’re per it, you possibly can have some gorgeous compost in just a few months.
Does this work in moist /dry and chilly/scorching climates?
Deep litter can work in all climates, nonetheless it’s possible you’ll should tweak the system in accordance with the place you reside. In case you reside in a terribly moist and humid location, likelihood is it’s important to in order so as in order so as to add litter extra typically.
In case you reside in a dry native native climate, likelihood is you will should moisten the litter infrequently. This solely should happen if the litter is dry and dusty and under no circumstances breaking down. Merely mist it with water from the hose to get it going.
As for cold climates, it’s most fascinating to start the deep litter system when the native local weather is warmth so it’s already breaking down with microbial apply forward of winter. It’s onerous to get the obligatory microbes going via the winter, nonetheless after they’re already present, it’ll help defend the coop warmth and should match completely via the winter.
What sort of litter/bedding is most fascinating for the deep litter system?
We wish to make use of pine shavings for our deep litter system attributable to they break down shortly and are extra absorbent than completely completely completely different litter choices.
I’ve a concrete/wood/filth floor. Will it work?
Deep litter will work on all types of flooring, even concrete and stone, nonetheless there are some components to ponder.
In case you’ll have a wood floor in your coop, the deep litter system might set off the wood to rot quicker over time. Nonetheless, resist the urge to place down some kind of flooring or barrier, harking back to vinyl, as it’ll solely end up trapping moisture between the wood and the moisture barrier, inflicting the wood to rot even sooner.
Maybe the perfect components you will do to protect the wood floor in a coop is to paint it with mildew-resistant paint. Nonetheless, that’s most fascinating carried out when organising your coop, forward of you progress a flock in, to offer the paint various time to dry and remedy.
Merely change out your litter two to some situations a yr to deal with the coop floor in good state of affairs.
The deep litter system will work even elevated on filth flooring because of the pure microbes and bugs contained within the soil will give the deep litter system a elevate. You do need to be cautious with filth flooring, though, attributable to predators can dig their approach into your coop.
How do I do know if it’s working?
If the litter is slowly turning into compost, you’ll know the complete factor is working due to it should. If it ever smells like poop or ammonia, you may need an extreme quantity of moisture, and that you would be able to flip it and add extra litter extra typically. (There must be a terribly faint, sweet, virtually fermenting scent in the event you occur to may need balanced microbe apply beneath the litter.)
If the litter should not be breaking down within the least into compost, you need extra moisture to encourage microbial apply. Or when you’ll have a smaller flock, they won’t be producing a great deal of waste, via which case likelihood is you will wish to present the litter a lot loads a lot much less incessantly and don’t add an extreme quantity of newest litter at a time.
When should I start using the deep litter approach?
It’s most fascinating to start using this method contained within the early spring when the native local weather is warming up, and you have got an entire three seasons of non-freezing native local weather ahead of you.
The deep litter approach is a top-notch reply to deal with your chickens. Not solely is it healthful for them, nonetheless it’s moreover loads a lot loads a lot much less current the outcomes you need!
Get the well-known Rural Sprout e-newsletter delivered to your inbox.
Along with Sunday musings from our editor, Tracey, along with “What’s Up Wednesday” our roundup of what’s in season and new article updates and alerts.
