Yes, in the spring we put some in our garden, around bushes and trees, and in our compost bins. We spread fresh ones about 3-4". Down the road, if you don't have enough chickens to move them around in there, take a metal rake, shovel or even a stick and just kick them around once in a while...
For the coop bedding, consider horse bedding pellets. They insulate, keep the coop dry and odor-free, and have nearly zero maintenance. We leave them untouched for a year. We shovel the remaining dehydrated poop and sawdust out in the spring and lay down a fresh layer of about 3 inches. They...
Hiya, and welcome to BYC by the way! :frow
Draft-free and ventilation are the two most important things. Hardware cloth down 12" is good. You can also bend it outward about the same amount like we did and covered with pavers and rocks. Make sure you use 1/2" hardware cloth. Insulation is...