I thought deep litter was too much work until this winter

I always cleaned my coop out completely every week, thinking deep litter methods were messy and hard. But after a cold snap, I decided to try adding fresh straw on top instead of removing the old bedding. To my surprise, the composting action kept the coop noticeably warmer. My hens seemed more comfortable and laid eggs more consistently through the freezing weather. Seeing them huddle less and scratch happily in the deeper bedding changed my mind completely. Now I'm a believer in letting the litter build up for natural heat.

3 comments

3 Comments

mason.julia3mo ago

Another plus is the health boost from all those microbes. They crowd out bad germs that can cause sickness in the flock. So you get warmer hens and fewer vet bills down the line.

val4063mo ago

Watched my neighbor try this after mason.julia explained it. She was right about the vet bills. It's one of those things that sounds too simple to work, but a balanced coop really does run itself. Lets the hens do what they're good at, and the good bugs handle the rest. Saves a lot of worry and money.

river1903mo ago

Honestly, how long does it take for that good bug balance to kick in? Like, is it a few weeks or most of a season?