Cleaning out the coop

[Beekissed]

Mine got too wet in the last few days (more than 8 inches of rain in the last 2 weeks, and my coop is now wet, wet, wet...) Thanks for posting this @Beekissed! I was going to clean it out wet, but I'll go get something dry to mix in and keep it composting for a bit first!

Here's a tip...don't mix it in. You'll only lose the benefit of the dry bedding. Just lay a layer of 4-8 in. on top of your wet and cap off that moisture. Good things will happen underneath and you'll eventually build your litter so deep that the excess moisture will start wicking towards the bottom layers and the top will stay reasonably dry.

If you have an exposed run, you can go with more sturdy materials like wood chips, woody stems of plants, corn stalks(those provide GREAT air spaces in the mix), small branches, bark, etc. that will help build a base that allows the moisture to work into the bottom layers more easily, leaving the top merely damp and helps it dry off easily.