How long does it take YOU to clean your coop?

[6of6chicks]

Pine shavings in the coop - five minutes a day to scoop out the biggest piles under the roost (using kiddie shovel that came with a beach pail) & fluff the rest. A full down scrub takes me about 20 minutes - empty out all litter, scrub walls & floor, spray w/bleach solution, rinse again. Pretty easy & quick because it's painted with high-gloss paint.

Dried grass in the run. Just recently started this and so far zero maintenance, no flies, and smells nice in there. The girls scratch & turn it for me. I changed it once just to see how long it would take - 15 minutes to rake it up, chuck it out with a pitchfork, & haul it to the compost bin. Spreading new grass took 5 minutes. Don't know yet how often I will have to change it out, but I can't imagine any more than once a month (based on what I've seen so far).

Honestly the waterers are far more of a pain than the coop & run. Those get scrubbed out daily.

 

[Pinkaboo]

About an hour a day

 

[luvmypets]

I clean every few days but it usually takes an hour or two because i also have the duck coop.

 

[RonP]

Deep litter inside and out.

Inside, mabe 2 minutes a week (fluff and or add), then add 1 hour for early fall cleanout.
50 square feet, 12 birds.

Outside has not been cleaned in over 5 years, nor does it need to be.
200 square feet, smells like the wooded area surrounding it (deep litter also).

Designed for ease of use.

 

[6of6chicks]

Have you tried the horizontal water nipple buckets??? They have made my life a DREAM! No more daily changing of waterers, no more daily scrubbing of the waterers....it's great! If you want more info in case you haven't seen them yet, just let me know!

Oh gosh, after the DIY bucket feeder fiasco I'm not up to trying another bucket project! Maybe someday I'll work up the enthusiasm to try it, but I'm still stinging from the last bucket project, lol!

 

[henless]

Oh gosh, after the DIY bucket feeder fiasco I'm not up to trying another bucket project! Maybe someday I'll work up the enthusiasm to try it, but I'm still stinging from the last bucket project, lol!

How is the bucket doing?

Seriously, the nipple buckets are nothing to do. Just drill the hole and screw in the horizontal nipples. I did mine about an inch from the bottom of the bucket. BEST thing ever!!!

 

[iwiw60]

Morning Everyone! Just got through doing a cleanup/freshening of the coop this morning while it was still cool enough to even move around. Hadn't refilled my horizontal water nipple bucket for 5 days and with this terrible heat I figured it would be down to the nubs...not! I still had over 4" of water in it. Thoroughly cleaned it up, refilled it. Re-filled my PVC feeder pipes with fresh feed and added more grit to the side feeder thingie. Only took me 30 minutes today...wheee!!

Have a wonderful day today with your flocks...love on them and they'll love you back!!

 

[6of6chicks]

How is the bucket doing?

Seriously, the nipple buckets are nothing to do. Just drill the hole and screw in the horizontal nipples. I did mine about an inch from the bottom of the bucket. BEST thing ever!!!

The bucket seems to be working okay. They like the tube feeder in the coop better, and will troop in there and stand in line to chow down. But they do use the bucket as well. I need to come up with some sort of anti-perch to put on the top. They keep standing on it and pooping on the tubes. Doesn't get in the feed, but still super annoying to have to clean.

The bucket waterer does seem easy, but things are a little on hold at the moment. I've got a sick flock and I'm freaking out over that. If they survive and I can get them healthy again then I might give the bucket waterer a try. Thanks iwiw60 for the instructions - you do make it look easy (and we both know how stupid I am with buckets, lol!).

 

[iwiw60]

Quote: Depending on what size PVC pipe you used for your feeders just go to the hardware store with your outside-to-outside measurement and buy a PVC CAP ... they're cheap. When you do put the cap on the top of the feeder just put it on there til it "snugs" SLIGHTLY otherwise you risk having it suck itself down onto the top and there ya go...new problem!

 

[ALJhappychicken]

Why use a nipple bucket? What are the benefits? 'Cause my old, faithful 5 gal. waterer isn't working quite right. When that isn't useable anymore, should I get a nipple bucket? Do stores sell them? Seems one of us should have started a nipple bucket thread!
Have a happy 7/11 ! (The date, at least in my time, is 7/7/14!)

Hope y'alls' flocks are thriving! :cd :yiipchick :cd :yiipchick :cd :yiipchick :cd