This last week all of our snow melted and the spring projects have begun in full swing...
:: Fresh laundry on the line.
:: New mud boots. My ugly brown boots, that I've been wearing for years, originally belonged to my oldest son Jake. He outgrew them at about ten years old and now they fit Cole. He's just about the same height as me now. {Sigh} Lucky me though, because every farm girl needs a cute pair of boots, right?
:: Cleaning out the chicken coop. We used the deep litter method this winter, so now we have oodles of rich compost for the gardens. They've thanked us with a rainbow of fresh farm eggs.
Wishing you all a happy Spring!
Spring looks good in your neck of the woods...at this moment it is snowing outside my window :(
ReplyDeleteHappy spring!
How did the deep litter method work out for you? We also tried this this year as well and eventually the cold temps here in northern VT began freezing their droppings before they had a chance to scratch/work it in. I was disappointed and haven't been able to find out much about how to prevent this. Was hoping for workable litter throughout the winter.
ReplyDeleteWe had below zero days for most of the winter, so I'm not sure what we're doing specifically. We had about 24 chickens in our coop, which is about 8 x 10 feet. I did read that having more chickens will add heat to the coop, so we were aiming for a maximum number in the space. We also insulated last fall. For the litter, we used grass clippings in the summer, oak and maple leaves in the fall and then straw in the winter. When we cleaned the coop out, all of the leaves and grass had composted and most of the straw, except the last few bales. The litter was about 6" deep. I hope that helps. Feel free to ask if you have any other questions.
DeleteThank you so much! I just realized I had forgotten to look back and see what you had said. We had ten chickens with six guinea fowl and approximately the same dimensions but without insulation. The litter was also about 6-8" deep. If the solution is more chickens, that would be great news! We are planning to relocate the guinea fowl to their own pen for the winter as they take up much space and do little in terms of scratching. Even more space for more chickens! Thanks again for the advice.
DeleteWe use the deep litter method, too, although we happened to stumble onto it by accident. My husband just didn't want to clean the coop so often & figured he'd build it up & see what happens. Works great. Love the new boots!
ReplyDelete