Comments on: Beyond Eggs: How to Keep Chickens Happy in Confinement

By: Beyond Eggs – Pros and Cons of Free Range and Mobile Pens | ARealGreenLife

Beyond Eggs – Pros and Cons of Free Range and Mobile Pens | ARealGreenLife

[…] and some of the ideas we have for ensuring they're as busy and well fed there as they were when they were out foraging for themselves (Part 3). […]

By: Kate

Kate

In reply to Penny Steel.

Hi Penny, thanks for commenting.

Do you get heavy frosts? If your frosts are only light and you can find a sheltered spot, you may be able to grow bananas although you may get less fruit. You probably also can grow some varieties of bamboo. I’m not 100% certain about either of these, though, so please do your own research! There are probably other plants that are good mulch producers that are more suited to your climate.

Any plant material for mulch is valuable. Gum and pine twigs and branches will take a long time to break down; the smaller you can break them up the better and you will need other, lighter forms of carbon too. The good news is that as they break down, they will absorb a lot of nitrogen.

I’m not sure what you mean by “under the litter.” Whatever plant material you use will comprise the litter, and you want your chickens to be able to turn it and dig through it easily.

I hope that helps, but feel free to ask more questions if you need to!

By: Penny Steel

Penny Steel

Thanks so much for this info. Am waiting for a mobile coop but after reading I will look to constructing a deep litter coop. I live in Goulburn NSW – bananas and possibly bamboo aren’t a goer. Any suggestions? Would gum and pine twigs/branches work under the litter to harbour worms etc.?

By: Kate

Kate

In reply to Brett. Hi Brett, yes, sunlight is definitely a consideration. Our chicken shed has a long open side, so the inside receives a comfortable amount of sunlight. Thanks for your comment :)

By: Brett

Brett

Hi Kate,
Thanks for your chicken posts.
When I was a teenager I had 12 chooks in a suburban backyard.
Yes it quickly became and stayed a dustbowl, and we had to supply most of their food, but they were happy and gave us abundant eggs (some double yolks too).
They had access to the compost pile that they loved, and mulberry fruit in season.
I knew nothing about permaculture back then.
I haven’t had chooks since, but when I am able to get into a suitable place I intend to get some again.
One idea that has come up for me re your situation – I think that chooks need sunlight too.
Food for thought.
Cheers
Brett

By: Beyond Eggs – 8 Advantages of Deep Litter Housing for Chickens - ARealGreenLife

Beyond Eggs – 8 Advantages of Deep Litter Housing for Chickens - ARealGreenLife

[…] I’ll tell you all about it in Part 3. […]

By: Kate

Kate

In reply to Anthony.

Thanks for your comment, Anthony 🙂

We haven’t started on the compost bin idea yet as we’ve been focusing on reducing the size of the flock (its amazing how chicken numbers can creep up on you when they’re free-ranging all over the place; having them all contained has given us a much clearer picture of how many there are and how many there should be).

Also I’ve been chipping away at the smaller projects like the buckets of greens and the planting of greens right outside for “cut and carry” use.

But we will eventually get to the bigger ideas like the compost bins, and I’ll be sure to keep the updates coming whenever I have more worth sharing.

By: Anthony

Anthony

This is a great informative discussion on chicken management! Thank you for sharing your experiences and I look forward to learning more as your bamboo and compost elements come into play! I was thinking as I read that a well placed compost pile accessible (maybe in a controlled way…) to the chickens makes sense. Best wishes for continued success and thank you again for taking the time to share!

By: Kate

Kate

Was there anything in this post you would have liked more clarity or detail about? What have been your experiences with chickens in general or deep litter in particular?