I'm not a farmer-I just play one on TV, so I need help

[WestTNriverrat]

Also in FL - not sure what part you are in, but I grew up along at either end of the I-4 corridor, and now have a homestead up in the panhandle, averaging 59" rainfall yearly.

I use leaf litter. In a "deep litter" method. The volume and irregular shape helps keep their feet out of the mud and water (I have Brahma, feathered feet, its a frostbite concern the seven days out of the year it gets cool around here), as it breaks down it composts (being more "brown" than "green" is a cold compost method, relatively slow) with the chicken waste and neutralizes most all of the smell (I'm told, my own sense of smell "isn't good" for reasons that don't matter here).

Has the benefit of being cheap - only costs my labor, I have acreage.

If you are in a more urban area, you can likely get "mulch" from tree trimming operations, etc at similar pricing. Or look into "chip drop". I'm not fond of green mulch, actually, but its hard to beat the price. I'd just store it somewhere to age first for a time. Have had mildew issues with it (once), back in Tampa, when it was simply too wet.

/edit With respect to the above poster, I disagree. Sandy clay soils here - tried pebbles under my watering cups for a time, filled (quickly) with chicken and duck droppings, became hard like concrete. When, when it got wet, smelled like an open sewer, even to me. If you can keep it dry, sand works for some, who then rake out the droppings periodically, like a cat litter box - but in a run, that's a lot of work, and the more droppings it collects, the less it drains. Most of FL already has a water table between 3' and 10' in depth, there just isn't that much room for water to "go" when we get a heavy rainfall. Standing water after a few moments of damp is the nature of our state.

Agree. Although I’m in Tn not Fl I live in an area that gets saturated fairly fast. I use a combo of leaves pine &wheat straw and hay ran through a chopper and an occasional bale of pine shavings. Mainly because all but the pine shavings are free to me. Father raises hay and rotates winter wheat every few years.
I’ve found using multiple materials might not look as nice but keeps everything from getting caked together as easily. I have grown to like the look after being ran through the chopper.
I was gonna try sand but I refuse to have an inside cat because of the litter box Why would I want to scoop after my chickens.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

Doesn't mean the smell good stuff is keeping them away.
Make sure you check regularly for bugs.


Bug Check:
Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008

Don't worry I still check!