How do I keep my coop clean?

[aldarita]

Interesting. You have the roosts above the nests with the area to scoop out the poop? Never seen that idea. Great idea.

Yes, it is very easy to clean. It just takes me about 10 minutes to clean the whole coop with 4 roosting boxes. 19 chickens can really make a mess every night but scooping the poop in the boxes is very fast and easy. I used to have hay in them originally and I didn't like it at all, too much waste and very messy.

 

[Shezadandy]

We took some great ideas about poop boards and PDZ and came up with something a little different.

Starting with the floor - My coop floor is covered with stall mats- the 3/4" thick, 4ftx6ft you can usually find for around $35/mat, and that is built into our coop building - acts as a good gasket and it protects all the plywood and other floor materials from chicken messes. It also keeps the smell from becoming part of the wood.

Walls- we installed FRP which is fiberglass reinforced panel on all the walls. It's the stuff they put in public bathrooms on the walls that withstand all the things we don't want to think about while using a public bathroom. So far, any poop that hits it rinses off in one swipe. In the corners and all along the floors where the floors and walls meet, we put 1/4 round PVC which keeps the bedding from getting lodged in that gap. We also put it up the walls in the corners.

On the floor, I like to use the compressed pine pellet stuff- it takes quite a beating. I like it because you get the fresh pine smell but at the same time it absorbs the chicken poo moisture, dries and is ready for more. Eventually it breaks down into more of a powder, and that's usually when I clean it out and dump it in the garden - that stuff helps lighten up the clay soil in my garden. I'd say once a quarter or so ... so for an 8ftx10ft space, about $15/bedding a quarter.

Following the roost table/PDZ idea, we made our roost tables mobile by putting casters on the table legs so I can easily roll them out of the way when the coop bedding needs a change, once every 3-4 months... because the outside run and roosting tables take most the "hits".

The roost tables also have mats on them, but the 30" wide, 1/4" thick kind you find in rolls at farm supply stores. Makes the PDZ that I put on the mats take all the moisture- none soaks into the wood. Because the table is 30" wide, I put a double bar roost which the chickens love. It's easy to escape bullies and it lets a lot of birds stay close but still have room for air to move. The tables get cleaned at least 2x a week with a kitty litter type scoop, and that's where most of the poop ends up- on the tables. Chickens are usually only on the coop floor right before their door opens and the hour or so before I turn the light off. Most of the pooping happens out in a big run or on the tables where it's easy to get to and clean.

To keep the feeders and waterers clean, they are installed under the roost tables. I like the poultry cups for coop watering because they don't leak like nipples can and because it's a nice small cup, it generally doesn't get soiled. The 2-gallon bucket has a drain as does the end of the PVC pipe for easy flushing and water changes without moving a thing.

The smaller roost tables are built on top of the nesting boxes on either side of the door and made integrating the last group nice and easy - a spot that most the big girls won't bother chasing them. =)

 

[crazychickymom]

I used sand in mine..and I used a kitty litter scoop every few days to pick it up and compost. I love it and my coop is always clean. You don't need any "play" sand,.,, just the regular stuff from a landscape place. Good luck!

 

[guinealeghorn]

Try looking at fleet farm's chicken shelf. They have a product to keep the smell down. I have never used it, but you could try it. Good luck!

 

[aart]

Try looking at fleet farm's chicken shelf. They have a produc to keep the smell down. I have never used it, but you could try it. Good luck!

Probably zeolite....much cheaper to buy in horse aisle......Sweet PDZ ~$10 for 25#

 

[Dmcar]

My mom was in charge of keeping the coop clean when she was a little girl. Her dad installed a roller under each end of the roost. Then placed a roll of newsprint (or butcher paper) on one end pulling through and attaching to the other roller which he equipped with a handle. Every am she'd roll out new paper; the soiled paper wound around the roller w/handle. When she came to the end of the roll she reversed it as the poop had dried and dropped off the paper! Don't know how many times she could run it through, but she said it worked great.

Her dad also had placed bins under the rollers to catch the 'fertilizer' which they used in their garden.

He was an engineer and a genius!

 

[Teai]

I always read these things and think "my poor bird" but then I have to remember I only have four. Your coops are so pretty mine is a two nest box two roost with a ladder thing in a 10x10 dog run, then outside of that they have an 8x16 run also then when my husband isn't around lol the backyard that is a 1/4 acre so I guess they are ok. Mine are molting now so feathers everywhere. I have sand in the bottom of the dog run and inside the coop floor not too hard to clean up after four. The bigger run is just dirt and the yard is grass and they think heaven.

 

[chfriedmam]

I put a poop board.
I have a 5gal Home Depot bucket with a nag in it. I use a putty knife to srape the board into bucket daily.
Then I sit my hemp bedding with litter scoop.
My run I threw some mulch in there and I rake it loose weekly. I may switch to sand. My girls free range, so run is pretty clean.
I MOVED ALL WATER AND FOOD TO RUN ONLY.

 

[chfriedmam]

What pdz do people use? Powder or granulated?

 

[aart]

What pdz do people use? Powder or granulated?

Granulated...no doubt.
It's plenty dusty as it is, can't imagine using powder.