We do deep litter in our coop. Its working great EXCEPT for the area immediately under the food & water. That keeps getting disgusting and rotten on the bottom. How would you go about fixing this? Putting the food/water in a sand box sort of area to contain the feed and keep them from knocking their water out? We had a drip waterer but it kept leaking so we switched to a different waterer but they scratch stuff up into it and knock it spilling water out.
Unless you are feeding a wet food, the food is not the issue, the water is. So stop the water leaks and spills. A photo of your waterer may help us come up with a way. There are a lot of different waterers out there so knowing which one you have could really help us.
Do you have a secure run? Setting up a sheltered area in the run for the feed and water would also work.
Photo of both the feeder and waterer set up would help and maybe a shot of your litter too. Is this an actual deep litter over a dirt floor, or "deep bedding?" Not the same thing and does not behave the same. My main feeder is inside the coop, so even if they knock it over the food stays dry and they'll eventually eat it. My waterer is in the run but there's very little leakage, and even if there were some, the deep litter really should be helping with taking care of that.
Yes, some pics might help. Knowing the ingredients of your deep litter too. ..and as always..... Where in this world are you located? Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor. Please add your general geographical location to your profile. It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!