DEEP LITTER METHOD For Beginners! | EXTREMELY Low Maintenance Chicken Bedding!

Today I'm explaining the deep litter method and how it is a low maintenance form of chicken bedding that we only clean twice a year without it ever smelling like chicken farts!
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0:00 Intro
0:09 What To Use
1:09 Managing Your Poop
3:37 Keepin' It Dry!
4:20 6 Months Later..ish
5:28 Chickens Poop Garden Gold
5:53 Ol' Dusty
6:16 It's Aliiiiive!
7:37 Oh, That's The Stuff!

[@cathybeckwith4462]

We use hemp in our coop, nesting pads in the nesting boxes, and mulch in the run. It has really worked great for us. If I think the hemp needs to be stirred up I just throw some scratch on the hemp and the birds will stir it up for us. Hemp is more expensive but it does not have the dust issues and it breaks down faster than any of the other products and I’ve never had any odor issues. Also I add herbs to the hemp. They help control pest and the chickens like to eat them.

[@christopherortega2514]

What kind of herbs did you add to the hemp bedding I use hemp as well I just got my first chicks do you till the top layer of the hemp at all when there's a lot of poop on top or just a little bit of the hemp over it

[@cathybeckwith4462]

@@christopherortega2514 , we stir the hemp around once a week once we have added all the hemp we are going to add. I’ve never had an odor problem either. We use calendula, thyme, rosemary, rose, mint, and a few others. I grow them myself so it depends on what is ready to harvest. The chickens eat some of it the rest makes the coop small

[@ysamgreen]

THIS IS SOOOOO HELPFUL!!! Just bought an old farm. The coop hadn't been used in 30years and is in disrepair. Aiming for chickens in the Spring. I think the deep litter method is best for us. Might I add, that your rapid fire delivery was great and too the point. I feel ready! Bring it little chickens. I want at least 10 and 2 of them will be Polish chickens named Cecil and Percy. THats all I know so far. THANK YOU!!!

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

Happy to help! And I love that you’re already picking out names 😂, it’s perfect! Cecil and Percy will be happy chickens! Thank you! I’ve actually had feed back to slow down… but when I do those videos don’t get watched 😂. I’m naturally fast paced so I figured I’ll just lean into that haha!

[@iwanttobelieve5970]

I had Chipdrop deliver and they gave me 20 yards of woodchips. 😳 I gave away some. Unfortunately most people only took a small amount and so I'm still trying to create a path to my backyard door. But I have bedding for at least four years which is what it took for me to get to the bottom of the last pile I got four years ago. But I didn't have chickens then.

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

Holy cow! Yeah sometimes chip drop can drop a bit too much 😂! I’m lucky because my best friend is in the tree business so I get to pick and choose what I get!

[@iwanttobelieve5970]

@@WhitepepperFarmshomestead Oh nice!!!

[@1fatsussex]

That dust is also bad for the small lungs of chickens. Straw,woodchips,mulch or sand equals so much less dust. Pine shavings are no good for anyone.

[@chrismcginn2]

do they (the chickens) not make dust when they free range?

[@natecus4926]

We use straw, and we throw all our chicken scraps, yard waste, and occasionally scratch grains on it, it ends up making great mulch to throw around plants. The straw gets chopped up and broken down from the chickens digging around in.

[@susantaylor8507]

I know when i was using pine shaving my chickens were getting respiratory problems so im looking for some thing else to use

[@colettevanderkin3881]

How many bags 5.5 ft3, of Fine Premium pine shavings do you start with 8 X 8 shed? Just starting coop

[@Wonderboy46Z]

Looks like you have food and water inside your coop. I’d heard not to do that due to moisture and pests. Any tips or tricks to keep it all clean and reduce pests concerns?

[@dyazkiprit]

can i use dry leaves and rice peel?

[@AprilDawnKJV]

Does this work if 2 ND goats live in my chicken coop too?? I only have 4 chickens and 2 goats and In a barn/shed

[@tracy3364]

I'm not sure about straw and hay I was told even before you buy it it can have mould and the spore are dangerous for chickens and can course respetory problems....is this true?

[@debkincaid2891]

Good morning ~ Question: I'm new to raising chickens but so far, so good thanks to you lovely You Tube chicken folk sharing your experience and wisdom. I do the DLM in the coop, but what should I be doing in the run? So far, I've just periodically tossed some pine shavings on the ground but I've heard others say they scoop the poop--I guess with a kitty litter scoop? ---and then toss more shavings on the ground. I haven't encountered any issues--no odor, no flies--but is what I'm doing sufficient or should I scoop the poop in the run? Btw, I have 6 hens who should start their first laying experience in this coming month, in a 4 ft x 6 ft coop elevated 2 ft above ground, and a 6 ft x 12 ft run, just in case dimensions impact suggestion. Thanks! Oh: I put 2" thick layer of sand underneath the coop but just dirt is in the run.

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

Great question! What we have done in our run is we just kind of add extra pine shavings or straw into the run whenever it all breaks down. We don’t scoop any out, BUT I will say we have never had issues with any odor, flies, etc. if we were seeing those issues I would for sure clean it out, but adding 6 inches or so of straw or mulch every month or two keeps it clean! Might not work for everyone but it does for us!

[@cathybeckwith4462]

We use mulch in ours. The chickens like to scratch around in it. We throw scratch and other stuff in so they have something to look for.

[@cwmoriarty]

Can you do this in an uncovered/semicovered coop? Rain is really impacting bedding I have in their run.

[@jimmylarge1148]

U don’t have a coop with a roof for them?

[@Truex561]

I started doing this and I added to the coop overtime. But they mainly poop where they roost. Should I rake that around throughout the coop and add more shaving’s or just add over where they poop?

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

I don't know what the "right" answer is... but I have the same problem and I definitely just rake it out from time to time and add more bedding on top!

[@nogames8982]

Make your chickens work for you. I haven't watched your channel enough to know what your set up is exactly, but get an area inside the chicken run for a compost pile. Make it a big area because your chickens are not gonna let the pile form for very long. You will rake it in a pile and a couple days later it will be totally flat throw some grain on top let them dick around, etc. keep adding weeds, leaves, food, scraps, etc. to that area. Every once a while, rake it back up into a pile if you need to. They will very quickly and easily turn it into great compost. Then when you clean out your coop next, you start a new area. Then you distribute the maid compost from the old area everywhere you need it and after six months when you clean out the coop again, you'll have another pile of ready to go compost. It's never ending. And also makes for you having to supply list Chicken Feed when you give them all your garden and lawn and yard scraps that you can. And food scraps.

[@user-lb6ho1qp4j]

What kind of respirator should be used?

[@jimmylarge1148]

At least an n95. Way more useful in this case than imaginary diseases! 😂😂

[@butterylight]

I'm confused, can I do this deep litter method in the chicken run? Debating between something like this and sand.

[@revelationawake]

How do you keep the bedding from falling out of the coop either through the walk-in door or through the chicken entrance??

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

The chicken door is about 12 inches off the ground so the bedding is good there and then at the man door I put a shelf that was supposed to go on the wall right there on the ground so it gives a good 8” or so barrier. I think I show that in this video somewhere!

[@revelationawake]

Thanks so much! I will put a barrier then.

[@dearmeecha1310]

Why is it not ok to mix the shavings? I’m new to raising chickens and I saw some people who said to mix your shavings. I live in a really cold mountain climate with lots of snow so I was thinking if I mixed it up it wouldn’t create as much moisture? But really I have no idea if I should just leave it and let it layer as you suggested. I only have 5 chickens. Thanks!

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

Walking into work at the moment but I will reply to this at some point today! I won’t forget about you!

[@dearmeecha1310]

@@WhitepepperFarmshomestead thank you so much! 🙏

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

Okay so I don’t mix the shavings, but the birds honestly do a pretty good job of mixing it up themselves. I don’t foresee much of a difference with mixing and not mixing as far as it functioning as it should. There might be a SLIGHT increase in how fast things break down if you mix, but for me it wouldn’t be enough to go in there and mix it. My birds mess their bedding up so quickly that they could probably mix it faster than I ever could 😂

[@samfrancisco8095]

I use grass clipping. Its free

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

Yes it is! As long as they are dry they work well!

[@jimmylarge1148]

Yeah don’t fill your coop with wet grass they will get sick from all the moisture.

[@deliahdykes7824]

have you tried hemp since you did this video

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

For bedding? I have not! Tell me more though, I’m interested!

[@deliahdykes7824]

@@WhitepepperFarmshomestead carolina coops promotes it and has lots of videos. So far I really like it. Had chicks since Feb. have not had a problem with smell etc, or bugs. Took some out just to get a compost started. I have 10 Jersey Giants (one is a rooster) They have just started laying. I live in middle GA. Still learning as I go. So far I really like this for bedding. But does cost a little more up front, I sprinkle in a little more every few weeks.

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

@deliahdykes7824 hemp has so many good uses, I can absolutely see it working for a good bedding. I’m going to look more into that for sure! Hey, we have a jersey giant! She’s my favorite!

[@vamountainman2512]

@@deliahdykes7824 only down side I could imagine is cost, but if it becomes a common option and more companies incorporate it into their lineup of products, it could become more reasonably priced in time.

[@HelloHoustons]

If you have a large coop hemp is completely infeasible. I looked in to and for our size of coop, 2 inches deep, the upfront cost was upwards $500

[@azmike1]

Ok fine. I use sand . I simply use a scooper and sift the poop up daily into a bucket. Clean. Pure. Useable. No flies. No stink. No dust! No kidding!

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

That’s definitely a good way to go! I’ve seen a lot of people going that route!

[@debrabeard-bader416]

And the same in your chicken run? And to what depth, roughly is best?

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

@debrabeard-bader416 in the chicken run I do it, but it doesn’t stay dry in there as easily so it works a little differently and honestly not quite as well. But it does do a good job of keeping any smell down. A lot of people call it a “carbon diaper”. If it starts to stink you add a ton of carbon on top. My chickens also like to kick all their bedding out of the coop so it sometimes gets difficult for it to get too deep in there 😂. There’s been times that I will put about 8-12 inches of straw or wood shavings in the run at one time and they love it. Straw is easier inside the run (for me) because it doesn’t soak up a ton of moisture so the moisture drains down to the bottom of it. So.. long story short I kind of do the same thing in the run it’s just harder to manage due to the moisture 😂

[@azmike1]

@@WhitepepperFarmshomestead I am in high country AZ. It's drier here. I have sand in the run and in the coop. Poop seems to just dry up in the run during the day although I seldom pick it up there. Nature handles it. But the coop is as clean as a whistle. Not unlike cleaning a kitty litter box daily. I also use a "coop freshener" powderish sand containing natural substances. Works great! Thank you for responding!!

[@azmike1]

@@debrabeard-bader416 I am in high country AZ. It's drier here. I have sand in the run and in the coop. Poop seems to just dry up in the run during the day although I seldom pick it up there. Nature handles it. But the coop is as clean as a whistle. Not unlike cleaning a kitty litter box daily. I also use a "coop freshener" powderish sand containing natural substances. Works great! Thank you for responding!!

[@ttano1117]

Quick question, What does method work with a cement floor? Will you repurpose a shit that had a cement floor, I would like to try this method if it would work but I don't know if it will need the access of worms and natural microbes from soil below. EDIT: I asked too early, now realize you have a plastic solid floor haha

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

😂😂😂 directly on the ground works best but having a floor is fine too! When you do clean everything out, leave a couple inches of bedding still on the floor. This will jump start the new bedding you put in!

[@ttano1117]

@WhitepepperFarms Awesome man. Glad I found your channel. Gunna be binging some videos this week. First year with chickens, did you ever try a water heater?

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

@ttano1117 awesome!! We didn’t, but this is the year we start 😂. I can’t go out there every day like I have the last few years

[@carlyzel]

Do the chickens never lay eggs in the shavings?

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

Here and there they will but they kind of.. make their own little nest when they do so they are easy to find. As long as you have a good nesting box they normally lay in that though!

[@jeanierussell201]

Ours did until we put a blue plastic egg in their nesting box. We took it out and they went back to laying under the roost which is messy. We put the blue egg back in the nesting box and they went back to laying there. Who knew!

[@abseiduk]

I thought pine shavings were bad for chickens?

[@beefandpork]

If the people need to wear a respirator in there, it’s not good for the chickens scratching around in there every day.

[@abseiduk]

@@beefandpork I'm new to this back yard chicken raising, and keep coming across conflicting advice on this issue, I don't want to harm the chicken and then find out through trial and error.

[@ursusarctoshorribilis5079]

You may be thinking of cedar. Pine is fine.

[@srinutamire2976]

What if only put cement concrete floor and wash it daily with water? Is it bad?

[@barbjarvi6543]

Hi

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

Hello!

[@66REDD66]

I’m just so confused no matter how many videos I watch. We’ve had 10 young chickens for about 3 months now and we use Bedmax dust free pine shavings at the moment in their run and in their nesting house and it’s never clean but we’re seriously considering using sand all over. We just don’t know what to do. 😮

[@gorgenhakan]

You're doing it wrong. You have to moisturize the deep litter in your coop. Otherwise you get dust and no micro organism activity. Don't make it wet only moisturize every now and then.

[@susantaylor8507]

Your chickens house floor should never be wet

[@bartwfielder]

2 minute video shoved into 8 minutes

[@Wonderboy46Z]

Looks like you have food and water inside your coop. I’d heard not to do that due to moisture and pests. Any tips or tricks to keep it all clean and reduce pests concerns?

[@Wonderboy46Z]

Looks like you have food and water inside your coop. I’d heard not to do that due to moisture and pests. Any tips or tricks to keep it all clean and reduce pests concerns?

[@boontang84]

I do just for the winter but take them out when it starts warming up again