Cleaning out a deep litter barn.

[Beekissed]

I'm currently letting the chicken flock break up the sheep DL for me. Each day I throw a little layer mash in there and let them dig it out a little more and a little more. Then I scoop the drier, fluffier stuff up and transport~ wash, rinse, repeat. They get to have fun, I don't have to do as much work and they also discover more organic food under the pack that they can eat. Lots of worms in there.

 

[Baymule]

Bay, do you use straw, shavings or wood chips for your goat stalls? We are enclosing a lean-to with rough concrete floors (already there) for our first herd. Plan on deep litter with sleeping platforms. PNW so does not get below 30 usually but I like the idea of lotsa compost, nice heat for them and less work for me (60+).

I have hair sheep and I use waste hay, their round bale is under the lean to roof that is their barn and they drop a lot of hay. I use leaves and pine straw, sometimes pine shavings, straw is not available here. The barn has a dirt floor.

We have chickens and a flock of guineas that keep the top layers turned and dry. Sometimes I rake up the loose hay on top and spread it over the pastures. If I scatter it thinly, it doesn't smother out the grass, but it shades the roots from our ferocious heat. I am 65, husband is 75, we are not going to run around, stricken with OCD on Poop Patrol, grabbing every berry before it hits the ground. LOL LOL Deep litter is a wonderful tool that provides ready to use compost for the garden and pastures.