Housing
Coop Bedding and Litter: Materials, Depth, Deep Litter, Cleanout and Composting
Litter is the bedding on the coop floor plus everything the hens add to it. The University of Kentucky says bedding controls moisture and ammonia, and the University of Minnesota notes that about 85 percent of a chicken dropping, by weight, is water. This page compares bedding materials as extension publications rate them, then covers depth, the deep-litter method, cleanout schedules and how to compost what comes out.
Short version: pine shavings are the default (Penn State calls them "the best litter"); never cedar or hay; chop straw to an inch or less. Keep a routine floor 2–4 inches deep and clean it every few weeks, or run deep litter that is stirred, kept at 40–60 percent moisture and removed every year or two. Compost the litter before it goes near vegetables.
Bedding materials compared
Good litter is nontoxic, free of mold toxins, pesticides and metals, highly absorbent, quick to dry and affordable (Jacob, Poultry Extension). Kentucky's AEN-167 adds that the choice mostly comes down to what is cheap and available locally.
| Material | What the sources say | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Pine shavings | "The best litter" (Penn State); the best option, pine preferred over spruce or hemlock (Jacob); the most common bedding (AEN-167). Compacts under foot traffic and needs stirring; fresh kiln-dried shavings are dusty, which a little water reduces (AEN-167). Getting pricier and harder to find (Jacob). | Recommended |
| Cedar shavings | "Should not be used": the dust irritates birds' respiratory systems (AEN-167). | Avoid |
| Pine sawdust | Chickens do well on it, but they eat it, and sawdust can harbor the organisms behind aspergillosis (Jacob; NC State says turkey poults are most at risk). | Use with care |
| Straw | "Not a good bedding material unless it is chopped into one-inch pieces" (Kentucky ASC-241). Chopped to 1 inch or less it works well in winter because its fluffiness insulates, but straw alone absorbs moisture poorly (AEN-167). Hard to manage and prone to caking; long straw mats quickly (Jacob, NC State). | Chopped only |
| Hay | "Should not be used as a bedding material": too little carbon, so it breaks down too fast; acceptable in nest boxes (AEN-167). | Avoid on floors |
| Sand | Helps moisture evaporate and cools birds in summer, but pulls heat from them in winter (AEN-167). Auburn broiler research found sand as good as or better than shavings with better footpads (Jacob). Doesn't suit composting (NC State). | Mixed |
| Rice hulls | Birds perform well; low in dust; usable alone or mixed with shavings (Jacob). About as good as pine shavings (NC State). Regional. | Good where available |
| Peat moss | Good bedding (ASC-241); absorbs well but is very dusty and not considered sustainable (AEN-167). | Sources disagree |
| Shredded paper | Compacts and cakes within about two weeks; old newspaper only, never glossy (Jacob); "slick paper should never be used" (ASC-241). Penn State says not to start chicks on slippery surfaces like newspaper. | Poor |
| Leaves, corncobs | Leaves work as seasonal bedding for some small flocks; ground cobs absorb well but mold when wet (Jacob). | Seasonal / regional |
Hemp is not rated in the extension publications behind this page, so it is left out. Sand is the clearest split: Jacob reports less dust in sand houses, NC State lists dustier air as a drawback; both draw on commercial broiler research.
How deep
| System | Depth | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Routine litter, after a cleanout | 2–3 in | Kentucky ASC-241 |
| Routine litter | 3–4 in, wet litter removed as needed | Penn State |
| Deep litter, once the birds have mixed it | 6–8 in | Kentucky AEN-167 |
| Deep bedding | Start about 4 in; about 10 in by winter; composting starts at 12–15 in | University of Minnesota |
| Deep bedding | Start with 4 in; build to about 12 in | UF/IFAS Extension Baker County |
- Routine litter: 2–3 in after cleaning (Kentucky ASC-241) or 3–4 in (Penn State), pine shavings shown
- Wet spot under the waterer: remove wet bedding immediately and replace it (ASC-241)
- Droppings board under the roost: collects manure with no bedding mixed in, which preserves the litter (AEN-167); clean under roosts weekly (ASC-241)
- Peat moss: about 1 in on the floor (AEN-167 example)
- Wood shavings: 3–4 in on top (AEN-167 example)
- Chopped straw: a 2 in top-dressing of oat or wheat straw before winter (AEN-167 example)
- Mixed depth: 6–8 in once the birds have worked the layers together (AEN-167)
- Minnesota build-up: start about 4 in, add fresh bedding to about 10 in by winter; composting begins at 12–15 in
- Stir: adds air, works manure in and prevents crusting (AEN-167, Minnesota)
The deep-litter method
Kentucky's AEN-167 describes deep litter as a system that collects, partially treats and stores manure until it is spread or composted: bedding is built up, stirred and topped up instead of fully cleaned out.
- Lay down about 4 inches of bedding (Minnesota; UF/IFAS Baker County).
- Stir it regularly so it doesn't clump or crust (Minnesota, UF/IFAS), and to work the manure, including the greasy cecal droppings, down into it (AEN-167).
- Add fresh bedding over time: about 10 inches by winter, then 12–15 inches, when composting begins (Minnesota).
- Keep moisture at 40–60 percent. Wet litter produces ammonia and can cause foot dermatitis and chest lesions; litter that is too dry can be watered (AEN-167).
- Leave it in place for at least a year, "if not two," blending in fresh bedding to control moisture, then remove and replace it (AEN-167).
Minnesota says the composting warms hens in cooler months and after about six months can kill harmful bacteria. It needs room: AEN-167 gives at least 3 square feet per layer on deep litter, against 1.5 on wire. In hot weather old deep litter can add heat; see heat stress.
The evidence is mostly commercial. On Ask Extension in 2017, James Hermes, PhD, said deep litter is common in broiler houses and gives some immunity to low-mortality disease organisms, that lime has little if any benefit, and that after a disease problem the house should be fully cleaned out and left empty for about a month.
Cleanout schedule
| Task | How often | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Wet bedding | Remove immediately; otherwise top-dress as needed | Kentucky ASC-241; Penn State |
| Under the roosts | Weekly | Kentucky ASC-241 |
| Routine litter, whole coop | Every 2 weeks in heavily populated coops, otherwise every 3–4 weeks | Kentucky ASC-241 |
| Routine litter, whole coop | Weekly for 6 or more hens; about every 2 weeks for 5 or fewer | University of Georgia C1097 |
| Coop and pen | Clean weekly for sanitation and odor | University of Minnesota |
| Signal to clean out | Litter about 40% manure, 60% bedding | Kentucky ASC-242 |
| Deep litter | Remove and replace after at least a year, if not two | Kentucky AEN-167 |
| Thorough cleaning | At least once a year, usually spring; consider a fall cleaning too, to help with mites over winter | University of Minnesota |
Even Kentucky's own publications differ: a cleanout every few weeks (ASC-241) against a year or two of deep litter (AEN-167). For a full cleanout Minnesota says to remove feeders and all bedding, wear a dust mask and mist the walls, because dried manure can be harmful to inhale; it disinfects with one tablespoon of chlorine bleach per gallon of boiling water. Wash your hands afterwards (see Salmonella and backyard poultry), and if mites are a problem, treat the litter along with the house (mite treatment options).
Composting the litter
Kentucky warns that fresh manure smells, attracts flies and can burn plants and carry pathogens. Composting fixes that if the pile heats properly. The University of Georgia suggests three bins, each 4–5 feet long, wide and high.
| Factor | What the sources give |
|---|---|
| Mix | About 3 parts brown (carbon) to 1 part green (nitrogen) (Georgia); 70–75% carbon materials, C:N about 30:1 (Kentucky ASC-242); a starting C:N of 25:1 to 40:1 in the USDA organic rule |
| C:N of common materials | Chicken manure 8:1, wood shavings 500:1, straw 80:1, dry leaves 60:1 (ASC-242) |
| Moisture | 40–60%, not dripping (ASC-242; Penn State); "about half of the total weight" (Georgia) |
| Temperature | 130–150°F in the middle of the pile (Georgia, ASC-242); 131°F for 3 days in a row as a rule of thumb (Penn State); 110–150°F (ASC-241); 131–170°F for 3 days in a static pile, or 15 days with at least five turnings in a windrow (USDA organic rule) |
| Time | Covered and undisturbed at least 2 weeks, then 3 more weeks in a second bin (ASC-242); several weeks per bin across three bins (Georgia); at least 120 days to reduce health concerns (ASC-241) |
| Turning | When the temperature peaks and starts to fall (Penn State); move bin 1 to bin 2 after about 2 weeks (Georgia) |
| Done when | No offensive odor and no recognizable bedding (ASC-241) |
Troubleshooting (ASC-242): an ammonia smell means too little carbon, so turn and add leaves; a rotten-egg smell means too wet, so add dry leaves or shavings; a pile that won't heat may be too dry, too small or too high in carbon.
Using it in the garden
- Never raw on food crops. Kentucky says raw manure should never go directly on vegetables or fruit and recommends only composted litter for spring application.
- Raw manure intervals. Where raw manure is used, AEN-167 and the USDA organic rule give at least 90 days between incorporation and harvest for crops that don't touch the soil, and 120 days for crops that do, such as root crops and leafy greens.
- Finished compost. About a quarter inch as a lawn top-dressing (Georgia; UF/IFAS); mixed into beds, used as mulch or blended into potting mix (Georgia).
Bedding checklist
- Choose pine shavings or another absorbent, low-dust material; skip cedar, hay, glossy paper and long straw.
- Decide on routine litter (2–4 in, cleaned every few weeks) or deep litter (built to 6–15 in, stirred, removed every year or two).
- Put a droppings board under the roosts and clean it weekly.
- Pull out wet bedding around waterers right away.
- Stir deep litter regularly; if it smells of ammonia, it is too wet or needs more bedding and airflow (see coop ventilation).
- Wear a dust mask for cleanouts and wash your hands afterwards.
- Compost the litter until it heats to about 130°F or more, then cure it before it goes on vegetable beds.
Sources
- University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension — Urban Poultry (ASC-241, Jacquie Jacob and Tony Pescatore, 2018)
- University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension — Backyard Chickens as Garden Fertilizer Generators (AEN-167, Steve Higgins, revised 2024)
- University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension — Composting Poultry Litter in your Backyard (ASC-242, Jacquie Jacob and Tony Pescatore, 2019)
- Poultry Extension, Jacquie Jacob (University of Kentucky) — Litter Material for Small and Backyard Poultry Flocks
- Penn State Extension — Management Requirements for Laying Flocks
- University of Minnesota Extension — Raising chickens for eggs
- University of Georgia Extension — Poultry Litter Composting for Backyard Flocks (Circular 1097, Kolich and Ritz)
- Penn State Extension — Composting Poultry Manure to Reduce the Spread of Pathogens (Torey Fischer, 2026)
- NC State Extension — Alternative Litter Materials for Growing Poultry (Jesse L. Grimes, NC Poultry Industry Newsletter, July 2004)
- UF/IFAS Extension Baker County — Litter Management (For Home Flocks)
- Ask Extension — Deep litter method research question, answered by James Hermes (2017)
- USDA National Organic Program — 7 CFR 205.203, soil fertility and crop nutrient management (via Cornell LII)