Content
The main difficulty in caring for chickens is keeping the barn clean. The bird constantly needs to change its bedding, and there is an additional problem with waste disposal. Modern technologies help make the work of poultry farmers easier. Chicken coop bedding with bacteria has long been popular among farms, allowing it to maintain cleanliness and optimal temperature inside the poultry house. At the end of its useful life, the litter produces excellent organic fertilizer.
Using deep litter when raising chickens
When raising poultry using the floor method inside the barn, you definitely need bedding for the chicken coop, especially in winter. Ordinary hay or straw, mixed with droppings, quickly becomes unusable. The dirty mass has to be thrown away after 3–5 days. Modern technologies have made the work of poultry farmers easier. A new type of deep litter contains beneficial bacteria, allowing sawdust to be used on the floor of the chicken coop for more than three years.
The advantage of using bacterial litter is additional and free heating of the poultry house. During operation, bacteria trigger a biological process in the thickness of the sawdust, accompanied by the release of heat. Reviews from poultry farmers say that in cold winter it will not be possible to heat the barn this way, but in late autumn you can do without artificial heating. Microorganisms colonized in sawdust heat them to a temperature of approximately +35OC. Another positive point is that the bacteria neutralize putrefactive microorganisms, and this leads to the slow decomposition of chicken manure.
Before using bacterial material, you need to properly prepare the floor of the chicken coop. A flat, hard, and most importantly dry surface is required. The litter itself, 15 cm thick, is poured on top of the floor. Any crumbly material of natural origin that has low thermal conductivity, for example, sawdust or husks from sunflower seeds, will do.
Peat has proven itself to be good for bedding. Natural material actively absorbs carbon dioxide and ammonia vapor. Peat is used in pure form or mixed with other material. In southern regions with a stable warm climate, sand is used for bedding.
Periodically, the bedding material on the floor of the poultry house is loosened with a pitchfork to evenly mix it with chicken droppings. Oxygen penetrates better into the loose mass, promoting the proliferation of beneficial microorganisms.
It is important to monitor the moisture content of the deep litter. According to the psychrometer, the indicator should not exceed 25%. With a sharp increase in humidity, superphosphate is sprinkled onto the loosened substance at the rate of 1 kg/m2, after which a layer of new sawdust or other material is poured.
The bedding material in the chicken coop is changed after slaughtering the old one and before moving in the new flock of birds. This is usually done in the fall. The poultry house is completely cleared of remaining droppings, completely disinfected, dried and thoroughly ventilated. After these procedures, new bedding material is poured into which bacteria colonize.
Reviews from ordinary poultry farmers speak about the disadvantages of using deep litter when keeping chickens. It was noted that this technology requires more sawdust or other material. Egg contamination is common. It is rarely possible to maintain the required microclimate inside the poultry house, which leads to the development of disease in chickens.
Review of popular preparations for bacterial litter
So, as you understand, to make deep litter in a chicken coop, you need to add a bacterial preparation to the bulk organic material. Although the principle of their operation is the same, it is difficult for a novice poultry farmer to choose a product from the wide variety offered by retail outlets. Having studied numerous reviews, we have compiled a rating of the most popular drugs, and we invite you to familiarize yourself with it.
German drug "BioGerm"
The brownish powdery preparation is intended for preparing bacterial litter in a chicken coop. The composition includes beneficial bacteria, as well as special additives that neutralize the unpleasant odor of litter. The drug is applied in two layers under fine sawdust, adhering to the consumption rate of 100 g/1 m2. Chickens can be placed on deep litter 2-3 hours after the bacteria have colonized.
The drug from Chinese manufacturers “Netto-Plast”
Numerous reviews from poultry farmers praise this particular drug. It contains fermented milk and photosynthetic microorganisms. After settling on the floor, the bacteria begin to work intensively, generating a lot of heat. The temperature on top of the deep litter is always maintained within +25OC. Bacteria work great with wood shavings or sawdust. To do this, just mix all the components, and then loosen the mass with a pitchfork once every 4 days. Consumption of the drug – 0.5 kg/10 m2. The lifespan of the litter is 3 years.
Domestic drug "BioSide"
The drug from domestic manufacturers is designed for “dry start”. The sawdust is simply mixed with the powder, after which a continuous reaction immediately begins. When organic matter is processed into compost, heat is generated. The surface of the deep litter is heated to a temperature of 20–25OC. The manufacturer guarantees the service life of the litter in the chicken coop - 3 years.
Domestic drug "Baikal EM 1"
The most affordable preparation for creating deep litter is “Baikal EM 1”. In general, this domestic product is considered a fertilizer, but poultry farmers have found a new use for it.The concentrated liquid preparation contains beneficial bacteria that process manure into compost. A lot of heat is released from the ongoing reaction, which contributes to additional heating the chicken coop. The principle of use is simple: 1 glass of concentrate is diluted in a bucket of warm water, after which it is simply watered over the bedding material. The fermentation process starts instantly.
The video shows the use of deep litter:
111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
Step-by-step instructions for starting deep litter
For fermentation bedding in a chicken coop to work effectively, it must be started correctly. In a cold chicken coop, positive results cannot be achieved until all elements of the building are completely insulated. If only chickens live in the barn, maintaining the required temperature is very difficult. We'll have to install a heater. A small number of livestock also has a bad effect on the work of bacteria due to the insufficient amount of litter.
The sequence of work during the launch of bacteria looks like this:
- After complete cleaning, disinfection and drying, the floor of the chicken coop is covered with sawdust or other similar material. Before compaction, the thickness of the layer should be within 30 cm. Next, the bedding material is trampled down until it reaches the thickness recommended by the bacteria manufacturer.
- The powdered preparation is evenly scattered over the entire floor area of the chicken coop. You can work without a respirator, since the bacteria are safe for humans.
- Warm water is filled into a shower head and the sawdust with the scattered preparation is thoroughly watered. It is important that the water does not contain chlorine, otherwise the bacteria will die immediately. It is better to avoid tap water. If you don’t have your own well, you can go to the river or neighbors.Even settled tap water is not suitable for starting bacteria.
- After wetting the entire floor, the sawdust is thoroughly mixed with a shovel. If straw or hay was used, it is easier to fluff it up with a pitchfork.
- The functionality of the bacteria is checked on the sixth day. If the temperature inside the litter has increased, it means that microorganisms are alive. Now you can let the chickens into the house.
Throughout the entire period of operation, the deep litter is periodically loosened, and a number of measures are taken to maintain the vital activity of bacteria.
User reviews
Many companies promise anything for the sake of advertising. A poultry farmer buys an expensive drug, hoping to simplify the care of his pets, but in the end it ends up being a waste of money. There are two reasons for the inactivity of the fermentation bed: poor-quality preparation or violation of the technology for starting and caring for bacteria. Let's read the reviews of several users who have already tried the miracle drug on home farms.
