Really happy with extra deep shavings

[nxd10]

It was quite cold last week and we started to worry about the hens for winter. I blocked the the bottom of the henhouse door off and added another 6" of shavings to make a total of 12" or so.

The girls LOVE it. It is hot today - over 80 - but they are in there, happily nestled in almost up to their necks, lolling around like they do in the dirt when out grazing.

When they're out in the yard you can see big divots in the shavings where each of them snuggles in.

I'm expecting it will be good when it gets cold and I'll keep turning them over and adding more shavings.

 

[wbruder17]

Be careful with the wood shavings....they are perfect breeding grounds for mites and fleas. I hardly ggive my girls any bedding at all. They get sand, diatamatious earth and a handful of pine shavings sprinkled on top for aroma. No bug problem anymore.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
x2

 

[NovaAman]

I have kept my pine shavings only a 2 inches or so, and slowly rake it out, to take off the poop layer every day or so... I have not had a bug problem, but I do plan to do the deep litter method over the winter and then back to the inch or two after it warms back up. I only have it in there now so it make cleaning the poop out easier.

 

[wbruder17]

Quote:
Just curious...how closely ave you inspected iin the corners and the bottoms of the shavings forr mites? They are so tiny, you wouldn't notice them without REALLY looking. I diidnt thinkk it was possible for me to have a bug problem, wiith how. Meticulous I am about cleaning, but a miite problem I DID have. They were THICK in the corners, stuck under the nest boxes, all over, and it was because I used pine shavings and straw.

Perhaps your climate is more arsh than mine, killing many of them off, bbut I think if you look closely, you will have more bugs than you thought.