Got a new tractor and have a cleaning question...

[Gwen]

We were getting ready to move out chicks out to the tractor today. The bottom of the small coop on top of the tractor drops down entirely. It's made of 1x2's and also some pieces slightly wider nailed together in a flat surface. So we were going to put little 'steps' on that for traction for them. But how do you keep it clean? Essentially their roosts are right on top of the floor, the entire thing drops down (so you can't use litter because that would spill out every day when you dropped it). Even with only two or three chickens in there, the poop is going to build up on that wood quickly.

What do people with tractors do?

 

[Omran]

I don't have a tractor, but if it is possible just move he door to the wall.

 

[patandchickens]

What you've got is a design flaw.

By far the best fix would be to make a door in the wall of the 'house' portion (even if it requires making a 'bump-up' part of the pen portion to match), then only open the house floor when you're going to clean it out. (Then you can use bedding - and if there are grooves between the lumber, I'd seriously suggest putting thin plywood or vinyl on it, or you will have a cleaning nightmare on your hands in time).

Indeed I can't really think of any other good fix. In principle I suppose you could make it so that only part of the floor hinges down on a daily basis, to make a ramp -- but you will lose almost as much bedding, and have almost as much poo-welded-to-wood problem, as you would otherwise, and the design where parts of floor drop down to make a ramp are just really not NEARLY as useful or chicken-friendly as where the door is in the wall.

Sorry, good luck, have fun,

Pat