Texas... too hot for deep litter method in summer?

[azahn]

So the composting process in the deep litter method produces heat... great for winter, but will it hurt my girls in the Texas summer? Designing coop details and wondering which way to walk. Thanks ahead of time!

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

There's actually very little real "composting" going on in the litter since it's too dry (if done correctly)

There are a lot of misconceptions about the "Deep Litter Method" and the PROPER way to use it

This is the best article I've found on it, and this is the FIRST thing they say:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/9QuJFt/www.plamondon.com/faq_deep_litter.html/

 

[joan1708]

I have also read that deep litter method helps control flies since it allow natural fly predators to do their job.I truly hope that's true.

 

[ROCKIN R FARM]

my family and I are in Rhome Texas, Before we moved here we were just down the road in Decatur and I had a big barn style storage shed we turned into the chicken area for laying eggs, sleeping ect. I used the deep little method all year long with mine and did not seem to bother them at all. But I also put in a window in the back for airflow, opened the main door during the day and just put a big piece of screen over the door opening if I wanted them to just stay in their run. For the summer what i did is... when the weather started warming up and staying hot like in the 100's like it can do. I took all the shavings out, put them in my compost bins (knew i was moving) and added clean shavings but this time did not layer it as thick as I would in the winter, I would replenish it as needed. Also put it down in their run they like to play in it and dust in it, Like to think it helped keep them cool. And was good to dry up any mud if we were lucky enough to get rain.
I did not not have any fly problems around my coops but did where my horses would go and the goats.

So what I did is... I got zip loc bags and filled them with water added a new shiny penny to each bag. Then sealed it up and hung them up outside around the barn, house, any place there was a bad problem. They stayed away. It's the water or the Penny, their eyes get bigger in the refletion as they flew closer to the bags of water, and they do not like that,

hope it all made sense.

Just make sure you have plenty of ventilation for them in the summer too, windows, air vent on top of roof, fans. that will help keep them cool as well. and I only did like 2-3 layers of shaving to mine. and when i see it needed more in some spots i would just tend to those

deana