How do I keep my coop clean?

[aart]

For those who use sand, what kind of scoop do you use to get the poop out? I've Tryed a cat litter scoop but it's too small and very tedious since I have a large coop.

I use this,....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...raphic-gross-poop-pictures/1100#post_13179595
but only have sand on poop boards.....about 28 sq ft worth.

 

[tomphot]

I bought a horse stall rake from TSC - added 1/2" hardwire but too much small poop fell through. I then found a small piece of 1/4" and added that with zip ties. It works great, I can scoop my 400sqft run coop in 5 minutes. Keeps everything spic and span clean!

 

[razoo]

For those who use sand, can you give more details?
Do you use sand for the length of the chicken run, or only the coop?
How deep?
How often do you need to replace it?

We are looking for a solution to our muddy coop, lots of rain here, plus a good solution for my daughter who cleans it out each day.

Considering this:
dig down abut six inches, first about three inches of gravel, landscaping cloth, and then a couple of inches of sand.
We are also considering an option we read here which suggested a couple of inches of sticks, leaves, etc to mimic a forest floor.
Is PDZ suitable for the chicken run or only the coop?

 

[tomphot]

For those who use sand, can you give more details?
Do you use sand for the length of the chicken run, or only the coop?
How deep?
How often do you need to replace it?

We are looking for a solution to our muddy coop, lots of rain here, plus a good solution for my daughter who cleans it out each day.

Considering this:
dig down abut six inches, first about three inches of gravel, landscaping cloth, and then a couple of inches of sand.
We are also considering an option we read here which suggested a couple of inches of sticks, leaves, etc to mimic a forest floor.
Is PDZ suitable for the chicken run or only the coop?

I have a 400sqft run that is covered but it is on a slight slope so has moisture that would run through it. When I built the run, I put 2x6 pressure treated on the base to attach the hardwire cloth to and also prevent any kind of stream forming.
I put hardwire cloth on the bottom on top of the existing ground to prevent any diggers from getting in. Then bought 6 yards of river sand which now provides about a 4" deep layer of sand. Not sure how long that should last - we scoop daily or so and little poop is getting buried.

 

[aldarita]

I have sand in my run (48 x 12) and scoop the poop with a tool DH made for me. He went to the hardware store and bought one of those dusters that come with a broom, he cut the bottom of the duster leaving enough of the plastic around (about 1 inch) to staple a piece of 1/4 inch hardware cloth. I has worked very well for me (for 4 years). I do not change the sand in my run, I am constantly picking up poop with the home made scoop every morning and sometimes twice a day if I have the time. When it rains, the sand on the edges of the run gets wet so I rake it to fluff it up to dry (my run has a roof and good drainage).


I don't think PDZ would be good for a big run (it won't be cost effective even if you mix it with sand) but it works very well in the roosting boxes. Many people here in BYC have sand in their coops too.
When you have sand in the run, you need to rake and add some every now and then so it won't get compacted. Chickens love to dust bathe in it all the time specially during the hot summers which is when I sprinkle some water in some areas to cool it off for them.

 

[aart]

For those who use sand, can you give more details?
Do you use sand for the length of the chicken run, or only the coop?
How deep?
How often do you need to replace it?

We are looking for a solution to our muddy coop, lots of rain here, plus a good solution for my daughter who cleans it out each day.

Considering this:
dig down abut six inches, first about three inches of gravel, landscaping cloth, and then a couple of inches of sand.
We are also considering an option we read here which suggested a couple of inches of sticks, leaves, etc to mimic a forest floor.
Is PDZ suitable for the chicken run or only the coop?

Welcome to BYC!
What is your climate? Putting your location in your profile can help folks give better answer/suggestions.

Sand can work great in an arid climate...but 'forest floor' is the best idea for about anywhere.

Did you know chickens can dig a hole 8" deep? Forget the gravel and landscape cloth.

Water flowing into run area and drainage out of run area should be controlled as much as possible with gutters, swales, grading, etc.

Here's a great description of contents and how to manage organic 'bedding' in a run or coop...and there's a great video of what it looks like.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1037998/muddy-run-help-please#post_16017992

 

[aldarita]

I have a 400sqft run that is covered but it is on a slight slope so has moisture that would run through it. When I built the run, I put 2x6 pressure treated on the base to attach the hardwire cloth to and also prevent any kind of stream forming.
I put hardwire cloth on the bottom on top of the existing ground to prevent any diggers from getting in. Then bought 6 yards of river sand which now provides about a 4" deep layer of sand. Not sure how long that should last - we scoop daily or so and little poop is getting buried.

Thanks tomphot for mentioning the little poop, yes indeed, there is a lot of "little poop" that gets missed in the daily cleaning and it gets mixed in the sand and eventually composted. I have about 7 inches or so of sand that has been building up throughout the years since I keep on adding some as needed.

 

[Merax]

There's your main problem right there.
With chickens, wet = stink.

Agreed. If there's moisture, it's going to smell. I have sand in my run and bamboo leaf in my coop (mainly because there's a hell of a lot of it into my yard and I want to turn it into compost). I only have six chickens and they're out pretty much all day every day, so it's only the stuff under the roosts that collects poop. Once a week the sand in the run gets raked and sifted and the coop material is changed out completely, which seems to work well. No smell and happy chickens that love the new bamboo leaf cover once a week.

 

[razoo]

Here's a great description of contents and how to manage organic 'bedding' in a run or coop...and there's a great video of what it looks like.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1037998/muddy-run-help-please#post_16017992

Thanks for this. We have started putting in organic forest floor matter in the run and the chickens love it. They scratch around in it for hours.

 

[Valentine2016]

I also suggest a poop board under the roost. On the poop board I use a mixture of sand and sweet PDZ and scoop it like cat liter once a day. The PDZ helps absorb the ammonia smell. It is used a lot in horse stalls. You can find it a tractor supply in the horse aisle. I mix it with sand to cut down on the amount of PDZ I use to save some money. And I usually replace the mixture once a week or so.

I will also mix food grade DE in with the pine shavings to help with the smell. You could also add the PDZ on to the floor of the coop. I've heard people use it in the run as wellto help dry up the poop and keep the smell down. Turning over the bedding in the coop daily with also help to decompose the poop. Make sure the bedding is dry and no moisture is building up.

Try to let the chickens out as early in the day as possible. The longer they are in their coop in the morning, the more poop that will accumulate. With this heat, when I'm home I keep the large doors of the coop open to help the air circulate better.

Hope this helps!