Deep Bedding

So for those of you who haven't been paying attention, it's been cold in Kansas the last couple of days! I'm talking seriously cold! So last night I had my husband put down a couple of bales of prairie hay for bedding in the shed where the babies live. I was hoping not to find cria-sicles this morning. That part worked but, what a mess! I've heard from alpaca breeders in the far north that they use hay or straw and just keep adding more all winter. When the bedding gets dirty they just put more on top. When the poo underneath gets packed down and the animals lay on it it creates layers of fermentation where the bacteria actually generate some heat and not only insulate but also warm. That may be true but I just can't imagine cleaning up that mess in the spring! After one night the mess is almost more than I can take. I forced my self not to remove all the hay and frozen poop this morning because it's still supposed to be unreasonably cold for a few days but it can't last. I may not be particularly tidy in my home but I hate the mess around my crias!