Deep litter in a small coop

[Jverdian]

Hello there! I am interested in the deep litter bedding method for the upcoming winter. My coop is pretty small-the TSC Innovation Deluxe Farmhouse coop. Can I do deep litter in the attached run? The enclosed actual coop is so small it would just be silly. The run is enclosed with hardware cloth and it’s about 7x3. I was thinking of doing deep litter here for my 3 girls over the winter. Is this a good idea? Also I’ve been thinking about about putting up a plastic tarp in an A-frame shape. to protect the coop from rain and occasional snow. I’m a new chicken mom, obviously, and this is my first year with my girls. Do these ideas sound ok?

 

[Ridgerunner]

You can certainly try deep litter in that run. Many people are successful year around with deep litter in runs that size. How successful you will be will depend a bit on your climate (hot or cold, wet or dry) and a lot on the drainage of your run. If it is positioned where water stands you are likely to have problems. If it drains pretty well you will probably be successful.

There could be a lot of benefits in protecting the coop and especially the run from rain and snow. Blocking a cold wind at ground level can also help. How much these help will depend a lot on your climate.