Unpopular opinion: I think we overdo the deep litter method
I mean, I ran my coop on a deep litter setup for like 3 years because everyone said it was the best thing ever. What tipped me off was last fall when I finally cleaned it all out, the ammonia smell was so strong it made my eyes water, even with good ventilation. I realized I was just piling more stuff on top of a wet, compacted base instead of letting it truly compost. Now I do a modified shallow clean out every 4 to 6 weeks and my girls seem way happier. Has anyone else found that deep litter just doesn't work in their humid climate?
Wait, isn't the ammonia smell usually from not having enough carbon mixed in? I had that issue until I started tossing a bunch of dry leaves or straw in with the droppings every week. It needs that brown stuff to balance out the wet and actually break down.