One of the dirtiest chores on the farm is mucking out stalls.  If you have farm animals, chances are you have a stall to shelter them in.  Most farm owners clean out stalls on a regular basis, adding hours to their chore time and producing a lot of compost.

The deep litter method for stall bedding eliminates much of the hassle and expense while still providing a warm, clean environment for your animals to bed down in comfort.  With the deep litter method, you only have to clean out your stall once or twice per year.Using your choice of wood chips or straw, begin with a layer of 4-6 inches in the fall.  As this becomes soiled through the season, add another 2-3 inches on top of the existing layer.  You can add more as needed, always adding on top of the existing bedding.

As the bedding underneath begins to break down, it will give off a small amount of heat, helping to warm the stall and keep your critters warmer.  The insulating layer of fresh bedding will keep your animals clean and dry.

In the spring, remove all of the bedding and add it to your compost pile.  You can begin anew with a fresh layer of 4-6 inches and continue the process throughout the summer.

The deep litter method works very well in chicken coops, goat houses and other small animal stalls.  I use this for my goats and chickens and love only mucking twice per year.