Super Easy Deep Litter Method for Chicken Coop | Create Great Compost!!

Low maintenance is the name of the game when it comes to your chicken coop. Using the deep litter method is the best way we have found to keep smells down, improve hygiene for our laying hens while also creating some of the best compost possible for your garden.
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We are in no way experts, but we share the little we do know out of a decade of mishaps and mistakes.
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[@scottgilliamprettysureihea3757]

Congratulations! You are the first person I've come across on youtube who acknowledges that it does not compost in the hen house. Yes, it is simply dried and neutralized by the carbons. Then it can be brought to the pile to be properly composted. Thank You!

[@cedarporchhomestead]

🤣 😂 😂 I really appreciate your comment and it gave my wife and I a good laugh.

[@robertrob96yount58]

So I can’t transfer the deep litter, chicken bedding straight into my garden boxes? I was going to put a thin layer of the bedding on the bottom of my garden boxes, and then fill the rest with tree branches and soil. I’m new to chickens and gardening 😅

[@Redeemed7777]

I have not tried the lime; but, I Sprinkle scratch in there.. I got my first chickens in July and I'm new to owning chickens.. got my 1st egg yesterday!

[@cedarporchhomestead]

Always such an exciting moment when you get your first egg. Congrats!!!

[@sleeplessinthecarolinas8118]

Thank you for sharing this very helpful tutorial!

[@cedarporchhomestead]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sheliadean9548]

Thank you for sharing this information with us

[@cedarporchhomestead]

My pleasure, we enjoy it!!

[@WILLITGROW]

nice video im new with chickens my self and from watching what you do looks like im doing the same thing.

[@cedarporchhomestead]

Thank you. Be careful though. Chickens are a gateway animal. All of a sudden you might find yourself having rabbits,goats, or cows lol.

[@ed33935]

Excellent video, great content and well done. I’m building a coop and will use this method.

[@cedarporchhomestead]

That's great! Thank you for the comment and good luck with your coop!

[@Unshakablegrace]

Great video! I use this method

[@cedarporchhomestead]

Awesome! Do you use the compost for your garden? How has it worked for you?

[@jackiesnowflake2255]

Thank you for showing this. I wasn't sure if I understood it enough. My coop is off the ground like yours and I've only seen deep litter method for on the ground so I thought I was doing it wrong. The only thing I didn't use was my diotemacoius earth but now I will be using the lime. Thank you so very much for this video. Now I don't feel stupid about what I was doing.

[@cedarporchhomestead]

Don’t feel stupid. If I had to list out all the mistakes I’ve made so far it would fill a book. Glad it was helpful and good luck!!!

[@theguideschoice429]

Hey, do you cover your compost bin? What about Louisiana rain? Great job on the video! Captain Vic

[@cedarporchhomestead]

We don’t cover our compost, but we don’t get as much rain as Southern Louisiana either. If your doing smaller bins of compost maybe consider a roof, but covering could lead to sour compost. I’ve used plastic bins with lids that worked well in the past also. Good luck! Let us know what you come up with!

[@Juliet_eq_vlogs]

hi love ur vids quick question tho what do you do when you chickens get mites or ticks how do you prevent and treat

[@cedarporchhomestead]

That's a great question and I don't have an answer... We have never dealt with either. The DE or First Saturday Lime in the coop helps and then having a dust bath that they have access to has been the way we have prevented parasite issues.

[@rachelk4355]

Do you use the DE for the run? The bath? Also when do you do a deep cleaning for the coop/roost? First timer here.

[@cedarporchhomestead]

We used to use DE but have switched to First Saturday Lime. Either one is interchangeable and we use for the dust bath area and the coop/roost. Wouldn’t be a bad idea to spread a little out in the run as well. Have fun and good luck!

[@onenur3179]

We give the chickens kitchen scraps, helps on feed 😊

[@cedarporchhomestead]

Absolutely!!

[@cpet5048]

😮

[@MushroomTeaFun]

If you don't compost, can you just move the used bedding the run? I'm using hemp bedding.

[@cedarporchhomestead]

You can but at some point you’re going to have material that needs to be composted or disposed of. Bedding and chicken manure that is thrown out and not composted is criminal, but if you aren’t at a point to compost then start where you are and build up to it. Your goal should really be to get to a place where you can compost. Compost is the backbone of everything we do. Good luck

[@JohnDoe-qp9qb]

Can you use baking soda instead of de or lime? Thanks

[@cedarporchhomestead]

Haven't heard of using baking soda. The DE and the First Saturday Lime are extremely sharp and jagged on a microscopic level and from what I understand they cut the exoskeleton of parasites and bugs while simultaneously drying out the insect causing death. We have used either DE or First Saturday Lime for the past 10 years and have had really great results.

[@SharingAShedLife]

Do you use this same method for the chicken run?

[@cedarporchhomestead]

Not really. The chicken run is a catch all compost. I put wood chips, leaves, grass clippings and garden scraps that make up the deep compost. It makes great garden soil.

[@brentlebo9763]

How often do you clean out your cop

[@cedarporchhomestead]

Twice a year! I do a complete clean out when we change the clocks and that’s how I remember when to do it.

[@YouthPastorTim50]

Does that compost pile smell like chicken poo? We live in a neighborhood and our neighbors would kill us if we had a big smelly pile of chicken poo. Does the lime kill all the odor?

[@cedarporchhomestead]

The coop and the compost will only smell bad if you don’t add enough carbon to bind the nitrogen in the manure. The First Saturday Lime helps deodorize and dry out the manure in the deep bedding but doesn’t necessarily help compost when moved. Making sure that you continually add shavings to the coop is the key to eliminating the pungent manure smell.

[@glennlewman4186]

Have you ever added Biochar to your deep litter?

[@cedarporchhomestead]

We have not. I've only recently found out about the benefits of biochar and haven't found ways to incorporate it just yet. Have you seen good results with it?

[@glennlewman4186]

@@cedarporchhomestead I have not tried it yet. I am adding it to my compost to inoculate it before putting it in my raised bed. I will be using the deep litter system in my chicken coop and put it into compost piles at clean out. I was thinking of getting a head start by putting a small amount in the deep litter and hoping it might help with reducing the odor.

[@cedarporchhomestead]

Let us know how it works for you...Very interesting

[@glennlewman4186]

What is First Saturday Lime ?

[@cedarporchhomestead]

It’s a product for natural pest control that when used in a deep litter bedding helps control parasites and assist with deodorizing your chicken coop. It is nontoxic and can be used in organic gardening for pest control as well.

[@pamrusher7815]

How many chickens do you have in this coop?

[@cedarporchhomestead]

We currently have 9 laying hens, but I'm confident it could accommodate 12-15 pretty easily.

[@carlosbuten7341]

How often do you clean the coop?

[@cedarporchhomestead]

About twice a year.

[@BadDadio]

How many chickens do you have? Your coop didn’t look very large.

[@cedarporchhomestead]

We currently have 9 but would have no problem with 12-15 hens. Our coop is 4x4 and about 3 1/2 ft tall.

[@BadDadio]

@@cedarporchhomestead thanks for the prompt response. I’m thinking about getting into chickens and am not sure how big of a coop to make. I want to start small (never get a lot) and only want to build a coop once.

[@cedarporchhomestead]

All I have to say is good luck. We hatched 3 a little over 10 years ago and have literally gone through hundreds since then. I have built maybe a dozen or more different types of coops. Chickens are the gateway animal! Of course it’s all been extremely fulfilling and fun, so again I say…..good luck. 😂

[@coziii.1829]

I tried it but I use open floor method with my 40 chickens Just move it around . Much better Saves on cost Saves time

[@cedarporchhomestead]

You’re absolutely right with that many birds. We once had 60+ layers out on a movable tractor to direct fertilize and sanitize our pastures. We focused on the deep litter for more of a “backyard” approach with a smaller flock for single family production.

[@luckyandmollytheducks4736]

I thought you weren’t supposed to use lime or DE when using the deep litter method

[@cedarporchhomestead]

We have used DE for years and now we use First Saturday Lime without any issues. It helps deodorize and dry out the droppings along with protection from parasites.

[@henrythepenguin945]

I will not support Tractor Supply😮

[@cedarporchhomestead]

I fully understand your position on the topic.

[@wheelsuprn6591]

First Saturday Lime is very overpriced barn lime. I was not impressed.

[@cedarporchhomestead]

We have been happy with it over the past 2 years. We have used DE prior and have found that we get the results we want from First Saturday Lime.

[@JustinGray70]

Shavings aren't the problem, the neglected, putrid sawdust is. You should be ashamed.

[@michaelripperger5674]

Please put a link to your video. We would love to see how it’s really done ?

[@1980shameka]

😂yes, please do😂