Confused about coop bedding

[Ajp23]

I’m looking for some advice on our coop bedding. We have a raised coop and use a mixture of medium and large flake pine as our bedding. Everything stays very dry, there’s currently no stinky smell but my question is, how often should this be changed out?

I think I’ve found that this isn’t technically the deep litter method because it doesn’t come into contact with a dirt base - is that correct? If that’s the case, as long as it stays dry and is churned and covered with light layers, is it ok to leave it in place for a long time?

 

[Evadig]

I only cleaned my bedding, which was pine shavings same as yours, whenever it started to smell or pile up too much. We'd put down a layer of shavings over the poopy spots just to keep it sanitary. I think the longest we went without changing it was three months, and it was a smaller coop (Producer's Pride Sentinel from TSC). Hope this helps!

 

[bsshog40]

I use the same bedding. Mine roost at night so they build up a lot of poop under their roost. We only have 4 chickens. Lol I usually clean that up every other day. I always check the nesting boxes to make sure no poop in there. I scoop out all the poop and put new shavings in.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Everything stays very dry, there’s currently no stinky smell but my question is, how often should this be changed out?

To me, as long as it stays dry and does not smell it is fine. If it is wet enough the moisture keeps the air away so the microbes in it are going to be anaerobic. These turn stuff slimy and smell horribly. As long as the microbes are aerobic (air breathing) you should be fine. So one effort is to keep outside moisture outside. If the poop builds up too thick it will not dry out so don't let the poop build up too thick. Your highest risk place is under the roosts.

I don't have a specific time length you need to clean out your coop. We are all unique and need to determine that for ourselves.

I think I’ve found that this isn’t technically the deep litter method because it doesn’t come into contact with a dirt base - is that correct?

Some people just have to have definitions and call things names. The way I understand it the Deep Litter Method is where you turn your coop floor or run floor into a compost pile. You want the aerobic bugs eating the poop and turning it into dirt. (I covered when it gets too wet and goes anaerobic above.) For the aerobic bugs that you want to live and reproduce they need some moisture. Too little moisture and they dry up and die. Too much and they go anaerobic. This is probably easier to maintain on a dirt base but some people manage on other surfaces.

Another aspect is that you need some microbes there to start eating and multiplying. If you are on a dirt base those microbes should be there but it is probably a good idea to toss in a couple of shovelfuls of dirt to seed those microbes. Any good topsoil should have them.

If it starts to smell of course you have to do something different. It is fairly common for some people properly set up with the deep litter method to empty the coop once or twice a year. Some people are emptying their coop weekly. I have trouble imagining that.

I do not use the deep litter method. I have a walk-in coop on the ground. My coop is too dry for the microbes to live. I collect the poop under the roosts (I use a droppings board) as needed and put that in my compost pile. Depending on how much moisture is in the air and how many chickens I have I might collect it once a week or once every six weeks. My flock varies from over 50 to only 7 or 8.

Every three or four years I empty out my coop in the fall and put that stuff in the garden. It breaks down by planting season. It's not because I need to clean out the coop, I want that stuff on the garden. I should do that every year for the sake of the garden but I get lazy.

 

[aart]

What kind of bedding you use may depend on how you manage the manure.
This is about cleaning, but covers my big picture

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.
-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.
- Large flake pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.
- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.
-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 10+ years.