Frequency of cleaning coop floor

[JackE]

All,

I think I may have confused you. I was referring to the coop they sleep in not their run. I only have 4 hens. We used the free coop plans from Purina so our coop is an exact duplicate. I still don't understand what a poop board is.

Regards,

You didn't confuse me, I WAS talking about the inside of my coop. A poop board is just a shelve you install under the roost bars to catch the nightly waste load the chickens put out. Some people love them, others have no use for them.
Jack

 

[LakeBird]

I posted pictures of the inside of my coop where you can see the poop boards. Almost all the poop I clean up inside my coop is on the poop boards. Less clean up on the floors.

 

[BradnKellie]

What is a coop/run comb? I Googled it but nothing comes up.

Thank you.

This is my coop/run combo.

 

[Indigosands]

Slightly different conditions,my coop is more like a barn style with a big door that almost completely opens up the front. I rake it out daily- sometimes twice a day if they've had lots of treats to clean up the extra poo that makes and the mess of the food so that bugs and vermin don't hang around. I live in the desert, so I don't put down bedding - the floor of my coop is dirt.

 

[ECBW]

I have tried different materials. From nothing, newspaper, hay, wood shaving and sand. I found sand or wood shaving both work well requiring different level of attention. Scoop out the chunks every day with sand, and once a week with shaving. Complete replacement is rare, mostly just replenishment.

 

[marianne7]

yes, I don't know what a poop board is either..... could you explain ? what is PDZ, ? is it a US thing ? havn't heard of it in the UK

 

[LakeBird]

Poop boards: shelf under the roost in this picture. Rooster is sitting on the roost and the hens are sitting on the edge of the poop boards. Notice the powder in the shelf aka poop board - that is Sweet PDZ. There is a lip around the shelf so it can contain the Sweet PDZ: Removes ammonia from the air by absorption. The ammonia in urine is trapped within the molecules of sweet pdz for freshair. Unscented so it does not mask odors. Dries as it deodorizes. Moisture is absorbed by sweet pdz and remains effective even when capacity is reached. Sweet pdz can be recycled after use by applying the bedding that contains the pdz to gardens, pastures and compost. PDZ acts like kitty liter. Hope that helps to explain it

 

[SunnyAlberta]

Ask at an agriculture supply store for a product made from zeolite powder. That is the main ingredient in Sweet PDZ which might not be available outside of the USA.

 

[Tessaturtle]

We have 12 chickens and we have scraped ours out and refreshed the straw twice in a little over 6 weeks. We have had stretches of really hot and humid weather, so that has definitely played into the need for us to clean it out more than I would think is normal - but I don't really know since we are first timers!! I pile into one area and let it naturally compost.

 

[joan1708]

BradnKellie - you have a very cute coop/run

I have 3 silkies in a small coop - approx 3 x 4 feet. There is about 6 inches of fine shredded pine shavings in the bottom of the coop. Every morning I use a cat litter scoop and pick up the overnight poop and put it in the compost pile. I throw in some sweet PDZ every week or two. I've had my chickens 4 months and I've yet to totally clean out the coop. No problem with flies or odor.