Eggsorcism
In the Brooder
Background: I'm headed to the GA/SC line near Fort Gordon. We're planning our layout for 10-12 layers. We're fairly set on our breeds (even mix of Rhode Island Red, Easter Egger, and White Leghorn) and flock size and have looked into the laws concerning coop/run size (4 square feet per bird in coop, 10 square feet per bird in run). The coop will be 8x6, about 6 feet tall, have a minimum of 10 square feet of ventilation, possibly one side entirely made of hardware cloth (likely the side attached to the run), 4 nesting boxes with a roll away design to prevent egg eating, a good 150 inches of roosting space made of branches, either a tiled floor to allow for easier clean up or a dirt floor (can't do an elevated coop), and an 8x15 attached covered run. There's no guarantee we can free range as I'm not familiar enough with the area to speak to the predator threat. We'll be sticking with fermented feed on a schedule (as in there won't be unlimited access to feed) with kitchen/garden scraps and many frozen/chilled snacks to beat the awful heat (seriously, it hardly ever dips below freezing and is above 90 for about 4 months straight!). No food/water in the coop. We'll be building a bucket waterer with horizontal chicken nipples around the bottom edge and probably tossing some ACV in there.
Issue: The only thing we're unsure on is the litter! I LOVE the idea of the deep litter method and there's obviously great success with it in some areas, but as it stays around 55-80% humidity and bounces to nearly 100% at some times in the year I worry about the moisture with the bedding. I also worry with the heat since the litter itself creates heat (as do the birds) and if it's lingering around 90 degrees with 90% humidity I would think the litter could do more harm than good. I'd prefer passive cooling, but could rig up a fan if necessary. Has anyone the area tried this? What would you recommend?
Issue: The only thing we're unsure on is the litter! I LOVE the idea of the deep litter method and there's obviously great success with it in some areas, but as it stays around 55-80% humidity and bounces to nearly 100% at some times in the year I worry about the moisture with the bedding. I also worry with the heat since the litter itself creates heat (as do the birds) and if it's lingering around 90 degrees with 90% humidity I would think the litter could do more harm than good. I'd prefer passive cooling, but could rig up a fan if necessary. Has anyone the area tried this? What would you recommend?
