My uncle swore by deep litter for years, and I finally get it now

When I first got my six hens, my uncle kept telling me to just keep adding fresh pine shavings on top of the old stuff in the coop instead of cleaning it out every week. I thought it sounded messy and maybe even smelly, so I ignored him and did a full clean-out every Saturday for months. It was a lot of work, and I was always buying bags of bedding. Last fall, I finally gave his way a shot out of pure tiredness. I started in October and just added a few inches of fresh shavings each week. By December, the bottom layer was breaking down into this dark, crumbly stuff, and the coop stayed way warmer. I haven't had a single case of frostbite on their combs since, and it honestly doesn't smell at all. It took me a full season to see he was right all along. Has anyone else switched to deep litter and noticed a big difference in winter?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamieperez2mo ago

My aunt in Vermont does the same thing with her flock of twelve. I tried it last winter and the coop stayed so much warmer, I barely used the heat lamp. How deep did your litter get by spring?

maxb462mo ago

Actually, deep litter can get too warm and cause moisture problems.

olivia_webb13d ago

oh totally, the deep litter method is a lifesaver for sure, but maxb46 has a point about the moisture. by spring mine was probably a good 8 to 10 inches deep, but i kept adding fresh stuff on top and it stayed pretty dry. did you ever have any issues with ammonia smell building up, or did you get that down by turning it every few weeks?