cleaning the coop

[Lars]

Every coopel weeks feels right!

 

[bgaratea]

I am a newbie so please don't judge... I just barely put my juvenile chickens out in the coop. It's been like a week or two. The inside is kind of small. Currently two bantams and 7 regular... and some ducks anyways I have been using chopped straw on the floor of the coop. The run I haven't put anything down on and it is bare dirt. It stinks and there are flies everywhere. I need to fix it. From what I'm reading I should either a) NOT have bedding down at all on the inside of the coop and clean it every day (it has linoleum) or b) start using pine shaving and DE and poop boards, clean poop boards every morning and change pine shavings roughly every two weeks, depending on smell... Does that sound right? I do not keep food or water in the coop and currently I only have one nesting box but only the bantams are laying so I will add more later. Also, should I be keeping the door to the inside of the coop shut during the day to keep them in the run all day and only let them in at night? And do you just sprinkle the DE over the bedding? Oh,and should I put straw or anything down on the dirt floor of the run? It is unpleasant as the ground is really hard right now and the poop just sits on top of it.
Thanks!

 

[donrae]

If you're having this much odor this soon, I'm thinking it's a space issue. You said it is kind of small, what measurements are we talking here? And how many ducks? Ducks are messy and the wet can cause lots of stink, and a

I am a newbie so please don't judge... I just barely put my juvenile chickens out in the coop. It's been like a week or two. The inside is kind of small. Currently two bantams and 7 regular... and some ducks anyways I have been using chopped straw on the floor of the coop. The run I haven't put anything down on and it is bare dirt. It stinks and there are flies everywhere. I need to fix it. From what I'm reading I should either a) NOT have bedding down at all on the inside of the coop and clean it every day (it has linoleum) or b) start using pine shaving and DE and poop boards, clean poop boards every morning and change pine shavings roughly every two weeks, depending on smell... Does that sound right? I do not keep food or water in the coop and currently I only have one nesting box but only the bantams are laying so I will add more later. Also, should I be keeping the door to the inside of the coop shut during the day to keep them in the run all day and only let them in at night? And do you just sprinkle the DE over the bedding? Oh,and should I put straw or anything down on the dirt floor of the run? It is unpleasant as the ground is really hard right now and the poop just sits on top of it.
Thanks!

less than healthy environment for chicks.

 

[lshankles]

I just got some 1 week old ducklings and have them in an bathtub and I was just wondering if I should clean the clippings every day or 1 or 2 times a week? if anyone can help please do.

 

[PapaChaz]

I am a newbie so please don't judge... I just barely put my juvenile chickens out in the coop. It's been like a week or two. The inside is kind of small. Currently two bantams and 7 regular... and some ducks anyways I have been using chopped straw on the floor of the coop. The run I haven't put anything down on and it is bare dirt. It stinks and there are flies everywhere. I need to fix it. From what I'm reading I should either a) NOT have bedding down at all on the inside of the coop and clean it every day (it has linoleum) or b) start using pine shaving and DE and poop boards, clean poop boards every morning and change pine shavings roughly every two weeks, depending on smell... Does that sound right? I do not keep food or water in the coop and currently I only have one nesting box but only the bantams are laying so I will add more later. Also, should I be keeping the door to the inside of the coop shut during the day to keep them in the run all day and only let them in at night? And do you just sprinkle the DE over the bedding? Oh,and should I put straw or anything down on the dirt floor of the run? It is unpleasant as the ground is really hard right now and the poop just sits on top of it.
Thanks!

instead of cleaning every thing out every 2 weeks, trying adding MORE shavings on top every 4 or 5 days to a week and stir it up. Or throw some scratch in and let the chickens stir it up. Sounds crazy i know, BUT the smell comes from the wet poo. Once what you have in there loses it's absorbancy, the poo stay moist longer. Wet poo smells bad, dry poo not so much. Also mix up what you put in so you have a different texture, different size particles. clean it out every month or two.

now I've said all that, what was said above does matter, about size vs number of chickens. This is one of the BIGGEST reasons you'll read on here over and over and over,
when it comes to coop size to chicken ration, bigger is better.

Also, there is currently a long running thread on the deep litter method that explains this much better than I just did. On page 167, post number 1665 is a youtube video explaining AND demonstrating the deep litter method done by one of our members here, Beekissed. She does a wonderful job making it make sense......

 

[PapaChaz]

I just got some 1 week old ducklings and have them in an bathtub and I was just wondering if I should clean the clippings every day or 1 or 2 times a week? if anyone can help please do.

welcome aboard!

When I was brooding this years chicks, I had 14 in a 2'x2'x8' brooder. I started with about 3" of shavings. every 4 or 5 days when the aroma would begin to arise, I'd add an inch or so more of shavings and mix it all up. When it would get to a point of 7 or 8 inches, I'd get a dustpan and garbage can, clean it all out and start over again. Oh, I also sprinkled about a cup or so of Sweet PDZ in it as well to help absorb the moisture. keep the bedding dry, it smells way less

 

[yochickiemomma]

Has anyone used coop clean from tsc? My husband bought some but I read the warning and it has me thinking twice about using it.

 

[Bordor Chicks]

Did not know DE could be used for anything but pools.  That website has a lot of info.  Thanks!!


How much do you mix with the pine bedding or do you just sprinkle about??

 

[audioguy]

Do not use the pool DE. It's heated and it changes the shape of the diatoms.
I just simply spread it around. They kick it all over.
I also use it to kill ants too.

 

[1cutechick]

I started scooping the poop every day or two after I fill the feeder. My feeder and water are both inside, although we have a large tub outside too. The girls go in and out at will. I sprinkle either sand or DE on the poopdeck (which is covered by a tarp) to help dry it up, let it sit a bit and scoop. We have a wood floor which I keep a little sand on to absorb some of the moisture. I find it is a much less unpleasant job to keep it up every day or so than to deal with that icky mess all at one time. It seems like there are less flies in there too. I keep a bucket and a couple of cat litter scoops right outside the door where it is handy to just grab them. Our 7 hens, 1 rooster, and 2 fainting goats are in a large but fenced in area. When I clean the barn I throw some of the straw out in the pen. The girls just love scratching that around and compost it nicely for us. It gives them something fun to do during the day.