How do I keep my coop clean?

[carlf]

Leaky roof and not enough circulation equals bad odors. And an incubator for bacteria and fungus.

Your coop needs to be dry and well ventilated.

My 4x4 coop has 2 windows with hardware clothe on either end and the door into the run, both open 24/7 unless closed for a specific reason (bad storm coming, really cold, etc..),
Roof is home-level roofing. layer of tar paper, doubled at the peak, drip edges and full asphalt shingles.

I use hay in my coop and have no issues with odor, because it stays dry.

 

[Golden Buffs]

Is sand ok in a coop?? I was wondering because the pine shavings is driving me crazy getting in the feeders. Will sand harm a chicken ??

 

[tomphot]

Is sand ok in a coop?? I was wondering because the pine shavings is driving me crazy getting in the feeders. Will sand harm a chicken ??

Everyone who comes over tells us it's the cleanest and best smelling coop they've seen. Love my sand - read this thread.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/444759/got-sand-you-should

 

[aart]

Is sand ok in a coop?? I was wondering because the pine shavings is driving me crazy getting in the feeders. Will sand harm a chicken ??

No, it won't hurt them.....but.... it's not really a good coop bedding for the long term.
It seems wonderful at first, for maybe the first year or so sifting out the poops, but eventually it will become saturated with pulverized poops......
....and if you live in a damp climate or have a water spill/leak, it can stink to high heaven.
Sand doesn't really dry out the poops the way pine shavings will.

If you are getting pine shavings in the feeders I'm guessing you need to get them higher up off the ground.
They should be about back height, for smaller birds, you can put a block/brick for a step to reach

 

[bobby4237]

First, your chickens need a clean and DRY coop. The moisture/humidity, especially in the summer will only make their poop smell stronger which is not good for them. If it is strong for your then it is strong for them. Your pine shavings absorb the smell, but when wet it loses its ability to absorb the moisture. The folks on this site are great, and provide many proven ways so my way is just another point of view. What my daughter does is use a couple of left over plant trays under the roost and in the morning she just takes them out and empty's them in the poop bucket and later into the compost bin! I would say she gets 90% plus of all poop from under the roost. Then she has some rubber gloves and a "pooper scooper" to get the rest. Anything left on the roost poles are wiped weekly with a rag and some soapy water. Our coop is well ventilated which is a must as well. Good Luck!

 

[carlf]

Chickens eat sand for grit So it won't harm them. I just use hay from TSC. But my coop is very dry and well ventilated. And I donor keep my waterers in the coop only the hanging feeder.

 

[Betsy57]

I have 4 coops, this is a pic of the largest one (and my favorite because it is very easy to clean). I use PDZ on the roosting boxes (which I clean every day with a scoop) Currently there are 19 adult chickens living in this coop so there is a lot of poop produced overnight and this is why I clean it every day because I figure that it is better to spend a little time cleaning it every morning than a long time every week.
I also use koopclean on the floor (it is a mixture of chopped hay/straw/PDZ) which I replace 3 or 4 times a year.
Roosting boxes and PDZ are very good to keep your coop clean, if you are building a coop take them into consideration.

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

 

[Betsy57]

Gorgeous coop! I may switch over my area under the roosts to PDZ. LOVE koopclean too.

Shavings on the window sill?

 

[Brigabart]

Yep we put ledges on the windowsills for roosts. I put shavings because it's easier to wipe off the poop. They tend to sit sideways on the windows so the poop stays on the sills.

 

[Des R]

Sand! Love it! I have sand on the floor of my coop and I took a $5 toddler snow shovel and drilled a ton of 1/4" holes into. Each morning I open the coop to let them out, grab a 5 gal bucket I store under the coop and my home made kitty scooper and spend less than a minute sifting the sand under the perches, dump the poop in the bucket and tuck it back under the coop (my coop is raised 2 feet off the ground on cinder blocks to prevent mice and snakes and give the girls more sheltered area outside the coop). Easy as can be. If I'm feeling lazy I even skip a day or two. No smells what-so-ever and always make me want to go the beach.. looks like a little zen garden in the coop. The other plus is if it does happen to get wet for whatever reason (occasionally a hard sideways rain will get in thru the eaves) I just stir the sand up / flip it over an it dries in no time. They can also use it for their grit (although I still provide granite grit), dust bathing, and they eat their spilled food right out of it. So far no downsides for me at all. Good luck!