DEEP LITTER METHOD Explained | Low-Maintenance Chicken Bedding We Clean 2-3x/Year | Composting Coop

We only clean our chicken coop 2-3x/year with this easy technique. Download the FREE Upside App at upside.app.link/OAKABODE to get $5 or more cash back on your first purchase of $10 or more. Click "SHOW MORE" for more resources below!
INSTAGRAM: @oak_abode
BLOG: oakabode.com/
PODCAST (Spotify): spoti.fi/3E7ADE4
PODCAST (Apple): podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Thank you again to Upside for sponsoring today's video!
MY FAVORITE CHICKEN GEAR: kit.co/oakabode/backyard-chic...
MY VLOGGING CAMERAS + GEAR: kit.co/oakabode/film-video-gear​
MY FAVORITE GARDENING GEAR: amzn.to/3xAF7S3
GRUBTERRA: Save 10% on GrubTerra Chicken Treats with code "OAKABODE": bit.ly/3nCS2vZ​
0:00-0:25 - Intro
0:26-1:37 - Upside
1:38-2:49 - Composting Basics
2:50-4:46 - Initial Layer
4:47-6:05 - Adding Bedding
6:06-7:28 - Layering vs. Mixing
7:29-10:15 - Deep Clean-Out
10:16-10:41 - Achieving Balance
10:42-12:19 - Moisture
12:20-13:11 - Final Thoughts
We're not experts, so we always recommend talking to the pros for the best advice. This post and comments below contain affiliate links, which may lead to a commission if purchased. This comes at no extra cost to you. Thanks!

[@OakAbode]

Download the FREE Upside App at upside.app.link/oakabode to get $5 or more cash back on your first purchase of $10 or more!

[@TRUECANADIANGIRL.C0]

When will this become available in Canada? Or will it?

[@Maxhazel]

I think I know what you mean but when you say “my husband lets me” it just sounds like you have no say in the matter? I really hope that’s not the case!!! You’re a beautiful smart woman!!

[@sallybuechner8721]

Being first time chicken owners, we would like to thank you for all the information you have provided for us to learn. I look forward to seeing your blogs and referring to all the lessons of making the safest living areas and care for our girls. Our chickens are very happy!!🥰

[@loriegroth2472]

This is our second winter (Alberta, Canada) with hens and the deep litter method worked well last year, so we are doing it again this year. We used the waste as a mulch in the garden and found that the plants around the bedding grew better than the other plants. Like double the size! Yay nitrogen!

[@sherrylegary7418]

Hi I am from Manitoba, what type of brown matter did you use for bedding? And how many chickens for space? And how deep was your bedding?

[@scotsmanofnewengland7713]

I ran across a chicken farmer who used an old travel trailer for his chicken coop. He said he wasn’t taxed on the camper and he could move it around his chicken yards. He removed all non essentials and built boxes with the wood from the cabinets. Pretty neat idea and the chickens were happy. Thanks for the video

[@Bioluvskatz]

😮😮😮

[@icemanthemaker9223]

I do the deep litter method and I turn it once every week or two, then I add fresh pine shavings to the top of it. I have a 4'x8' coop and I rotate the litter from underneath the roost to the other side of the coop. So far, not too much of an odor. We have 8 chickens. As a side note: Thank you, your videos are what convinced my wife to allow me to get chickens.

[@susancampbell2112]

There are two types of composting, cold or hot composting. You are basically doing cold composting where you do not turn it. Cold composting requires less work and is why it's perfect for coops. It also doesn't heat your coop hardly at all, if at all. It is insulating, though.

[@bknees2]

Don’t the chickens turn it?

[@msdixie1972]

This is what I’ve done. I’m now nervous about when I can use it in my garden. Does it need to age before using?

[@JessicaVanHusen]

This is my first year with chickens. I have a 5x8 coop for 6 birds & we are doing the deep litter method. We are in northern Michigan. I started layering pine shavings in July when the girls got out there. Had to add an extra board to the main door to prevent shavings from falling out, it’s working well so far! Every few weeks when the poop under their roosting bar gets too big, I spread it out, sprinkle some lime then add another layer of pine. So far so good. No smell! Humidity is 60%. May need to add more vents up top but holding off until the outside humidity drops.

[@Goodoverevil2]

What does the lime do? I guess it’s safe huh

[@HeartandHomeCrew]

I’ve been meaning to watch a video explaining this method so thank you for posting this!

[@loganmack9132]

Discovered you guys like 2 weeks ago and I think I’ve watched every video of yours lol! Thanks for all the helpful information!

[@ChocolateSweets07]

I am new to chickens. This is by far the easiest for keeping the coop clean and smell free. I AM DEFINITELY doing this. 😊

[@michellehorne7625]

I love your videos, no muck arounds to the point and so informative. Thank you for all your help.

[@nancysmith6555]

Thank you for your videos. We’re learning a lot from you. We’re doing deep litter method. 💜

[@shannonguevara5896]

I use it because I found your vlogs! I love it. I don't touch it until the big clean out. Love your vlogs and tips. ❤

[@SherryHawkinsMartin]

I'm preparing to get chickens in the spring. First video I've come across explaining the deep litter method. Now I know how the deep litter method works. Thank you.

[@FlippinChicken3357]

I’m preparing myself to take care of chickens. Let me tell you, your videos are priceless.❤❤❤

[@purdyfuntimes923]

Thanks again for this! My wife and I are on our first flock and have been following your advice from several videos 🙏🏻

[@sarahbullington6554]

Love your channel! Lots of really great advice as we’re zone 5B too - 53012. Going to begin the chicken coop adventure in spring!

[@naomi2646]

Thank you for all your knowledge that you share. I don't have chickens yet, doing alot studying before spring. Buying stuff a little at a time. Looking forward to following your methods

[@bruv33]

We got chickens this Sunday and this channel has beyond helpful

[@sandytrimble5081]

I must say your hens look very content and happy - I had chickens for a lot of years both as a child and as an adult. I love to listen to them cluck and make their little noises as they scratch through the grass etc.Thank you for your videos.

[@Littlememoryfarm]

I am building my coop now. 8x8. Learning so much from your videos. Other people are good but your always the go to page to learn so much. Thank you very much. 😀

[@myfaverecipes]

Your videos are the reason I felt confident in getting my girls late last year. Thank you for all of the information. This will be our first winter using the deep litter method so I’m definitely looking forward to it and using the compost for my garden in the Spring. Thank you thank you thank you ❤😊

[@traceymcginnis5607]

Thank you a million times over. I’m just getting started, the chicks will be here soon. All your information is blowing my mind. LOL!!!

[@Lamekidhero]

Hello! My wife and I love the channel and would love to see a video on the different uses for chicken bedding and how it can be beneficial and used in gardening. Thanks!

[@susanbreeland8620]

Thank you so very very much for so much good advise!! I am totally new to raising chickens!!!

[@2FHomestead]

I'm building a coop for our first chickens (8 hens/1 roo). Because of you, we are doing a deep litter method. Thank you for this video.

[@saltyshieldmaiden]

Thank you for this. I have been thinking of doing the deep litter method for my flock but wasn’t sure how to exactly. I have small flock 5 birds but adding 5 more in the spring.

[@jrsharp]

Love you're videos. We are 6 months into using deep litter. Changed once at the end of Summer with zero bad smells. We'll add another bale or two of wood shavings throughout the Winter and cleanout in Spring. It is a fantastic system!

[@keithknight3705]

Great video! Also you're eyebrows look amazing

[@SurrealNotion]

My wife and I just started our first set of chickens three weeks ago (13, one passed early on). We also just found your page and love it! She and I watched three or four of your videos together right off. Thanks so much for all the info. Loads of great ideas, and no-nos too.. We have done extensive reading and watching of videos so far and looks like we're on the same page...so far..lol... Have a great chicky'day and we'll be back for more. Thanks again!

[@KeithBarrowsToday]

Brand new to chickens so looking through YT and other sources to learn what we can before we plunge in this spring. We live in Central Florida so have 2-3 months that *might* get down close to freezing, occasionally even below freezing. This method makes sense, and the remains from cleanout would be great to go in the main composting area as well...

[@CorkeryCoop]

Great information! Pretty much what we do. As for the heat production in the winter; don’t count on it making any measurable difference. The cold slows down the bacteria, and so, little heat is produced. The same thing applies to a compost pile; it slows down, and even stops when the pile freezes in the coldest part of the winter.

[@ricksanchez2090]

The obvious reason to not interact with the bottom layer is because that is where any liquid runoff would gather, so if there is excess urine that is pooling, there is where it will be, and its best to leave that down there to bind with the carbons and not stir it up to offgass ammonia vapor

[@justlookin2]

Being on a concrete slab my bottom layer gets quite wet. I turn it often but not sure if I should but just keep adding more. Ugh!

[@bknees2]

I thought the deep litter method is only recommended for dirt floors?

[@petersalt]

@@bknees2 good to know I wasn't aware. I need to do more research on this topic.

[@CarolinaGirlCreationZ]

1st timer seeing your video. Great information! I will say for those in climates like mine, (mid-atlantic southeastern nc) humid climates like mine in the summer definitely require some "mixing" of the bedding to avoid excess moisture. Birdies make so much waste at night and churning it up a few times and mixing in some new bedding really helps in keeping it from being too wet. I have gotten some incredible compost from my birds. Can't wait to dip into my compost pile that I've been building up over the last couple of years for my garden this coming spring!

[@HandymanLand]

Thank you, I just adopted a couple of Hens, that we're living in very poor conditions. I just finish building their coop. Just in the last two month, I learned so much. I will be posting the videos soon. On my now happy hens. Thank you for sharing so much knowledge.🐔🐔

[@BigGabes91]

I use the deep litter method and do not mix it… mostly because everything I do I learned from this channel! Works great for me and my flock of 16. Thanks!

[@PixiePom_Nails]

Great video! This helped me so much 😊

[@glamourgirl1962]

I downloaded the Upside app using your link as a thank you for your laying hen videos. An Aunt gave me her coop, enclosure and 5 young laying hens. I’m so excited and have already made pets of them. They are my feathered babies. I love them. I’m a 60 year old new hen mama. Lol. Now I’m educating myself with KZbin and am finding your channel to be the best for backyard chicken care. Thank you.

[@jessicajenkins8033]

Thank you @oakAbode for your awesome videos! New to backyard chickens and finding your videos helpful. I would like to use the deep litter method. I am wondering if you can use the method on coops that sit up of the ground with plywood bottoms vs coops that sit on ground level? Thank you

[@dinavoutour7796]

Thank you for this info.! I am saving this info. This is my first year of deep litter and also the first year of of raising chickens. I started with shopped straw but I am switching to fine pine bedding next week. I hope I have not messed up by using the shopped straw. I have stored it some and it is breaking down pretty good. I will now just leave it alone and add more material to cover it up. Please wish me luck and give advice if I need to do something different.

[@Sharkey94123]

What a great video! Very organized and direct. And you have a fantastic voice for presentations! No chickens here for us in California near Yosemite (at about 3,000 feet). Just two geese and I'm wondering if this method will work for geese. I've been cleaning out their shed 3 or 4 times a week. I'd like to give this a try,

[@LauraShulldoTERRA]

My coop is being built and I need to learn how to maintain the coop. I think I will be using the deep layer method. I live in south Texas, so I’m curious to see how I will get through the hot summer months. Thank you for sharing !

[@mimiohnine]

We got our 12 chickens in March 2021 and we did the deep bedding from May 2021 to May 2022. I added the bedding up to the beginning of January, once a month, and then it was really cold so I just periodically checked the smell and it was never strong smelling. Our coop is built on a 10x6 framed hitch so it’s relatively small but those chickens are producing eggs and are still healthy. Thank you for a confirmation video on deep bedding method!

[@arialhamel4266]

Thank you! I have been doing deep litter for a little while and honestly couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong

[@billyslone5677]

I’m really brand new, so I’m starting with 3 hens in a 4x4x4 foot coop over a run of 7x7x 6 feet. I have started with 4” of light shavings. Trusting this will work out well.

[@libbybudge7488]

Thank you for this information! I started getting the GrubTerra treats for my birds and they LIVE FOR THEM! Thank you for introducing me to them!

[@libbybudge7488]

I also use this technique and I have six birds. Three bantams and three regular sized hens. Their coop is 14x4 with a nesting house that is about 4x4. Works perfect.

[@patricia8933]

I have used this method for about 3 years now and won't ever use anything else! I live in the southernmost part of Georgia and with summers so hot and humid, not having to clean out the coop in the heat is a huge advantage. I clean it twice a year, as soon as it is cool enough and again just before we get the unrelenting heat. The fine shavings is new info for me so I will be adding the fine shavings over the winter. My garden and hydrangeas LOVE the compost! These chickens just keep giving!

[@darlenemckay265]

I live in middle Georgia near, Dublin! Hi neighbor!

[@samuraioodon]

@@darlenemckay265 what kind of floor base is under the shavings? Bare plywood, paint, or tiles? Thank you

[@Doublev2103]

Oh good to know! I wasn’t sure if the deep south’s humidity would through it off or not!

[@fadedcinderella]

Love the video! Just in time

[@ssjordan34]

We have used the deep litter method in our hen house for 2 years. Works like a charm. Change it once a year. Could probably go much longer.

[@katherinecornette5315]

I do my deep litter similar to yours. I prefer the flake shavings. We usually have between 4-8 chickens for the 3 of us.

[@ToddPNW]

Great information, thanks!

[@abe5314]

Best explanation I got ever

[@rhinometal2]

Thank You very much for the video! I grew up raising a few chickens for food and eggs, I was aware of the green and brown compost ratio. I don't own a home yet, but I really want to raise free range chicken for food if I have a house with a decent lot for the chickens. The video is informative, and you did a wonderful job presenting the video. Take care and God bless you and your family! Dan from California

[@lauraorso-richmond9772]

Appreciate you and your channel so much! My husband and I got chicks back in late august, 10 pullets and 1 cockerel. My husband has had chickens before and knows a lot about regenerative farming and composting and polyculture. He’s been educating me over the last few years so your videos I usually know some info but I always learn more :)! We are trying the deep litter method with our birds. We live in northwest Washington so it’s pretty moist here but doesn’t get super hot or cold in the winter. I’ll keep commenting on chicken videos with how things are going :) but so far deep litter method seems to be going well and our birds are happy 🤗! Thank you Oak Abode 🤗❤️!!!

[@emilywills1116]

Do you stir the bottom layer?? That's what I'm reading contradicting info on and am confused about

[@abneyacres]

We have 9 chickens right now in a 9x12 coop. We love the deep litter method.

[@rogersims2423]

Thank you for posting your videos. My coop is off ground with a wooden floor that has some run space under it. Most of the droppings are under the roost poles. I have been cleaning it and putting the litter on the ground with a tarp over it. In the spring, I plan to start composting the pile. It’s too dry and it needs more volume to get the process going. Keep up the good work. We need happiness and joy in this world. God loves a joyful heart.

[@pennyhowe682]

Thank you very informative I sort of use the deep litter thing

[@kathybehnken6649]

We are getting 12 layers and 6 Cornish crosses for butchering. My husband is a former farmer and I was on a farm in my early childhood. It will be a learning process as we live in Minot, ND.

[@nilasspasov8417]

Thank you for this great video. I love it.

[@michaelwilson4791]

Thank you so much. I am getting 12 easter eggers next month. I am converting half of my garage which is just storage in my coop and using the deep layer. Your videos have given me so much useful information and ideas. I hope to see more videos.

[@dorriwaldera3081]

In WI here also. I do the deep litter method also. when I had only 5 chickens, full clean out once a year was enough. With 10 or more, I do 2x a year. I keep a garden rake in the coop, and rake the bedding around from under the roosts, that is the fullest area of "poop" since they generally are outside most of the day either in the run or free ranging. I add more bedding as needed, generally only in the Winter since they are outside most of the day in nice weather. I use the clean out to top my raised beds in the Fall.. the composted parts and poop wash down, and the bedding left makes a great mulch. By Spring, it is no longer hot, and has been working great for me for years. Love the video, thanks!

[@faithfirstfarmhomestead3386]

When we get on our property and get our coops built and fences up, I will be trying this method for sure.

[@dinadavis4062]

I have 4 eggers in an elevated 4 ft square coop, living in the maritime Pacific NW where winters are mild. I place pine shavings about 4-6 inches deep in the coop and weekly I scoop out dense spots of poop below the girls' favorite roost spots. I add more shavings when the layer gets thin. I know, not exactly a deep litter method, but our set up isn't very labor intensive since it's a small coop. I put what I've cleaned out into their chicken run and turn it into the dirt. It composts well outside, brings grubs and worms into the run area where they like to scratch around for treats.

[@rainfalls2964]

I sure appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us. I just got my first eggs about a week ago. When i first got the idea of getting some chicks your channel is the one that got me through so much. from paste butt to getting eggs just about everyday, your channel is my go to for anything for my baby dinasors 🍁BlesedBe 🍂

[@rainfalls2964]

Oh and I got Easter Eggers and let me just say. Of all the chickens I have been around in my life, these gals have alot of personality. They sure are more like pets than livestock. And I felt they were great for a begginer flock. 🐤🐣🐥

[@peforster6725]

I adopted two Silkies about 3 weeks ago. They both started laying today. I have 2 Easter Eggers & 1 Silkie about 11-12 weeks as well.

[@dinavoutour7796]

I call my chicken “va-la-sa-raptors”

[@stacycole7446]

This is my first year raising chickens. We took on a lot of projects when we moved into our house and opted for a prefab coop recommended for 8-12 birds. ( We are building a legit coop next spring.) I was nervous about raising them properly in the winter because New York can have some really cold and wet weather, but your videos have given me the knowledge and confidence to care for my girls. We started with 8 but are down to 5 because of a bear attack. I feel five is much better for the size coop we have. I add flake shavings as needed and clean the top layer when it gets really heavy with poop since the coop is smaller than I would like. Then I lightly mix the under layer to make sure there aren’t any troubled areas. I have to clean out the shavings near their door when the wind blows the rain in from the wrong direction, but so far so good. I can definitely see what’s underneath looks like the material you have in the video of you cleaning the coop.

[@SpokaneWildlifeFriend]

I stir it! Over the summer I use Chip Drop to get woodchips and then in autumn and winter I use straw or shavings but to stretch out adding another layer of whatever I can get I will stir it up. My main reason is that the chickens stir a lot of it up themselves but there are some places they don’t like and don’t touch so I spread that spot around until I’m ready to order more chips, straw, whatever.

[@rebeccasiemon8529]

Can you use straw for deep layering

[@melissagene1417]

First time watching , I just might have to try this method. Thank you for sharing. I been cleaning my coupe 2 times a week. 😆😆

[@sheliabenson5496]

Great video, we use this method here in Va. We use straw and the chickens eat the seeds out. We let the chickens enjoy scratching the blocks of straw we add along. They love it! The chickens scratch and with a dry interior of the coop on ground it breaks down, no smell and with clean out time. It's ready to use in garden.

[@SS-fs3ld]

Thank you! Would this work for a quail coop as well?

[@kayegenin123]

We have 5 chickens in 15 square feet with an attached run. When I first cleaned it out after 4 months, it didn’t even feel like it needed it. We are going to add a bigger run and I think that will help even more. We also keep food and water outside, so the chickens are only in there when they lay or go to sleep.

[@wesleythomas6194]

But they poop more when they sleep than when they're awake

[@marialismonchek7670]

That's great to know. So there really isn't much of a smell with this deep litter method?

[@KOAH_Dobermanpuppy]

This is my first time keeping chickens, I was using pine shavings but switched to straw. I came across this video and decided to give this method a try. Thanks for the great advice.

[@marywesley316]

I have been using the deep method, we have 13 hens in a 20 x 20 area of our barn. It’s really just the middle area and on each side we used to have stalls when I had horses. My husband closed in this middle part, when he brought home goats😐 but I only have one goat now, and these hens are her hens.. I’m glad a came up on this video because I was just noticing I need to be getting some of this bedding out before Winter. It is some very nice soil too, just be soil! I’m going to load it up on the bucket of the tractor and dump it over our garden area, and work it in to the soil. Is that a good idea? Or no? I’ll test the soil before Spring planting.

[@revelationawake]

How do you keep the bedding from falling out of the coop, either through the walk-in door or the chicken entrance??

[@justlookin2]

Thanks for the informative video. My girls are on a concrete pad behind a Morton building and it gets wet so I have to do the deep litter method. I turn mine often and it breaks down just fine. But im always adding a bit more after rain. Im still pretty new to this only 2 years in and I'm learning so much all the time.

[@peforster6725]

1st time chicken keeper. I've been using leaves on top of wood shavings. They break down & I've added to the litter if it looks like it's not nice for them to make a deep nest with. Like you, just trying to use what I have access to, but when you mentioned the dust, I wonder if leaves are ok. I also put a bit of ash in the coop only where it's always dry. No waterer in the coop. Helps keep mites away.

[@hanpretzel2531]

Thank you so much for your video! Do you think this would work with 3 chickens and 2 goats?

[@jt52193]

We use the deep litter method as well and I do not intentionally stir up the bottom layer, just don’t feel a need to, but! I do have some 2 month old chicks that for some reason like to kick and scratch holes all the way down to the floor so it kind of gets mixed up anyway but either way our coop never smells 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@noconsentgiven]

Do you have a wood floor under the deep litter?

[@WillRun4Food]

We have a 10x10 playhouse-turned-coop that we started esrly summer. Right now we have 11 birds with the oldest 3 hatching (in my SIL's preK classrom) in April, three more in May (from a hatchery), and the youngest 5 at the beginning of June (hatched kn my living room). I started the bedding with a bag of pressed pellets and a bag or two of shavings in May. I've been adding handfuls here and there along the way and just decided to dump the rest of the bag of shavings in the other day. No smell issues. The birds do a good job of mixing it all around for me.

[@FourSeasonFarming]

Thanks for the video the question is as I see the compost doesn’t Breakdown completely at the time of cleaning Are you using it as a mulch or garden soil? Thanks 🙏

[@alexandriamahoney5613]

As a new chicken owner in Michigan this is so helpful! Thank you! Ps. Where did you get your vest?

[@Marie-ii1te]

I am currently raising my first ever flock and your videos have been so helpful. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom! I have a question about the deep letter method. We only have 4 chickens and our coop is very very small. I want to try deep litter method more just out of curiosity than necessity. Do you think this method would even work in such a small space?

[@schlippery1]

Thanks for the very informative and interesting video... What I have been doing in the coop, is scatter piles of dead mango leaves that fall in copious quantities from a HUGE mango tree where I have my coop below, and the twenty by ten run. In the run, it often gets wet and muddy, (and smelly) in our rainy season (Hawaii), so I will take a bag of garden lime and sprinkle it all over the floor of the run (I have to consider the neighbors as they have complained about the smell...) and this definitely helps the smell, and dries out the muddy ground, then I will take a large quantity of these dead mango leaves and put in about a six inch layer throughout the coop and the run, The girls love it and scratch around very happily... after several layers of these leaves (a couple times a year) I will rake them all up and put them on the compost pile and sometimes churn them around with a fork to mix in the chicken poop with all the compost... I have been doing this for years.... When I need compost for the veggies or new fruit trees or any planting, I use a bunch of this compost with great results...I also use the old nesting box grass in the compost heap as well...

[@ball996]

When you use the used bedding for fertilizer do you till it in to your garden soil or use as mulch around plants?

[@fadedcinderella]

This will be first winter with chickens and first time with deep method! Fingers crossed it goes well

[@alyssamiller-nestle9458]

Love your info how many chickens are y’all up to now

[@Mrscpez]

@OakAbode Hi! I discovered your videos in March ‘23 as I’m a 1st time chicken owner and gardener. Loved this vid on deep litter method! We’ve been doing it the last 3 months but I noticed the chickens don’t seem to scratch and mix it up on their own so once in a while I’ll mix it. I did it the other night shortly before they went in for the night. One was dead this morning and another shortly after. The rest don’t look great. Do you think that’s why? Because I stirred it up before they went in? Trying to figure this out. Really don’t want to stop using this method but if it’s because I cleanliness I may have too. ? I don’t know. Thanks for any info.

[@cristinabaskar8331]

Thanks!! That was informative. We’re beginners & learning with y’all sharing ur knowledge / learning & experience. I had no idea of deep litter method & unknowingly cleaned d coop twice before winter. Winter starts from May - September for us. July till Aug being the peak. I think mixing the bed with tiny bit of fresh brown matter 1st & then adding more fresh brown matter to stay would be ideal. As it’ll help to spread evenly d fresh green stuff & improve more absorbency when mixed little fresh brown stuff, as it’ll enhance dry atmosphere. Coz anyhow the hens mix them up naturally. The only reason some don’t mix is, as it creates firm /warm insulated bedding during winter & holds it together. But on the healthy side : mixing it will be stink & flee free & safer. Coz hens r naturally created to keep themselves warm & staying inside d coop is already warmer. As the host said you’ll figure out with ur experience. Of course also depends geographically where we live & climatic conditions. Thanks again for d video. Subscribed & 👍 already.

[@arialhamel4266]

Can you do a video of your chicken coop/coops setup and how many chickens you have? I have 10 chickens in a 4x8 coop but I want at least double that

[@VIFarmLady]

I stir the ‘problem’ areas as needed. But that’s more a perch design flaw I need to fix… for the most part I just layer on the new shavings and the chickens do any mixing. I love the deep litter method now but it definitely took a little time ant tweaking to get it to where I am now enjoying it 😂.

[@forrestnewman1268]

Does adding Saturday Lime damage the composting process?

[@pamelayounger9351]

We have an abundance of pine needles and leaves (for now). Can we use these as the brown matter for the deep litter method? Also, when do you know if you do/do not need to clean your coop out? I haven't been able to find a solid answer for these questions.

[@prudenceblue]

Decades ago my grandpa used the deep litter method with his chickens, he used straw and it seemed to me like he just emptied the coop (a large one, I’m thinking much larger than was necessary for the amount of chickens he usually had) once a year. He’d pile it up in the middle of his garden (probably a few piles) with piles of bedding from the rabbits and let the chickens spread it around the garden for him. It’s possible that he did it twice a year and I just wasn’t paying attention, once in spring and once in fall. I haven’t kept chickens myself in many years and hope to do so again soon. When I was doing research I was so surprised about the amount of people advocating for constantly cleaning the coop over the deep litter method, makes me wonder if the “clean coop” method is relatively new? Surely it’s not what people were typically doing long ago, right?

[@darlenemckay265]

I agree! I would think straw or even hay would be better than wood shavings especially if you are going to put them in your garden! The wood shavings rob your soil of nitrogen as it breaks down. We use big round bales for our horses and as it gets towards the bottom it becomes small pieces of scrap hay that the horses don't eat. I feel this would be much better than wood shavings and probably cheaper too!

[@Wonderboy46Z]

The problem with hay and straw is mold spores and other tiny critters. Lots of people say don’t use it in your coop, but then again lots and LOTS do use hay in the coop. I’m not sure honestly but I guess its a roll of the dice and if you see your chicks wheezing you’ll know to remove the hay or straw due to mold. Just info, no opinion.

[@SEANGUS-xe9ib]

I have never cleaned my chicken pen, my chickens never go outside and are fed everything but any 'meat'' types.I've never had a sick chicken and have some of the best looking birds you will find.My pen in 20x25 and house 25 birds.If you keep your birds healthy and plenty of a quality feed source [ie] fermented feed , table scraps and especially Brewers Grain from beer processing.The only thing that is cleaned daily is the waterers that's it.Your info is spot on....

[@ahmedshekhani3117]

thank you for sharing your valuable knowledge and taking out time to make this video. Was in the process of making shade for chicken on my roof top. My question is.. We live in south east Asia. Where humidity is 80 percent 9 months of the year. Ofcourse there is no harm in trying. But any amendments that are or can be made in the method or would this do? Thanks a bunch

[@matthewthieroff]

What are your thought on using shredded cardboard as the material for deep litter method? Is there a typical size that i should use? I use cardboard for my worm bins and would like to use it for the chickens as well. Thanks in advance.

[@devinnogaki]

What do you recommend as the flooring surface? Plywood ok?

[@ironrose888]

We use deep litter method and keep adding pine shavings when it breaks down. We also add some lime and DE to sprinkle around the coop. The lime neutralizes any odor and the DE gets rid of the lice that attaches birds.

[@petersalt]

Around the coop, but not in?

[@benjobling6861]

I like the smell test idea 💡 can I use this on my quail coop ? Could it be used on ducks