Am i overdoing it ? some people think im nuts, pics added

[6chicks&aduck]

Since winter came ,
every day i clean the droppings up out of the shavings on the coop floor,
and every second or third
day i go through the straw in the run and clean up that too, its all frozen this time of year , so its easy to pick up.
just dont like them to have to walk around in it ,

I do the same in the summer, but have sand in the run and use a kitty litter scoop to clean it up .
i need to remake a dropping board for under the roosts .
it does'nt seem like a pleasant job,

but my birds sure enjoy the time im spending w them and they have become so much tamer ,
enjoying a pet or a scratch

, pulling at my boot laces and zippers on my coveralls lol. and most of all jumping on me !!!

for me its been a great way to get to know my birds personalities too !

Just wondering if anyone else does this type of maintenance ? here are some pics of inside & out after cleanup

 

[wolfandfinch]

I'll admit I'm not planning on cleaning out my coop that often. I have children, and right now it's actually hard to get out to the backyard (no steps from the back). So, in theory I plan on cleaning it all out twice a week and dealing with any disasters when I see them.

 

[Naughty]

I do clean mine out weekly - but I go out every night and give em all a scratch ... or a pet - I think it makes a difference.

 

[blueberrychickens]

No I don't think you can be too clean. I try to clean my girls 1x/day or at least every other day. Otherwise it just becomes a much larger job than it needs to be. My girls all love to come in & visit w/ me when I'm in the coop, I have to be careful not to step on any of them!!!!

Sometimes I'll shoo them out the pop door, but they just come right back in a minute later. They love to peck at my jeans an shoelaces, I have one EE who just loves to peck my socks, right on the ankle bone.....ouch!!

 

[kuntrygirl]

I would love to clean that often but I can't. I try to clean weekly. I think it's a great idea to be so clean. Can you post pics of your coops? You may give me some inspriation.

 

[chick-in-florida]

clean is always good! and time with the chickens is even better! i clean the coop and spend time with them every day but then my kids are all grown so the chickens are my babies now.

hope you are saving the fertilizer for your garden...

 

[featherbaby]

I have two coops 4 x 8' each, 33" off the ground so I don't have to hurt my back to service them. I clean the poop out of the shavings both morning and night, replace shavings if needed, change water, fill food daily. Every 2 weeks I clean all shavings out and replace with fresh. I spritz vinyl floor and painted walls with oxine while shavings are out. As long as I keep up with it, only a few minutes twice a day are needed. Since I am a mega-tasker (that's a multi-tasker X 10) I pick up and hold a silkie on my left arm while cleaning with my right. Every few minutes, I switch hens. HA! So to answer your question, "am I overdoing it?" You're not even close! Your statement "some people think I'm nuts" is a pretty sure bet. HA!!! Welcome to the nuthouse!

 

[goldeneggtees]

I do and they all come in for a visit when I am in there, it's sweet. They come over like "what did you find? Anything good?"

 

[Bird Collector]

I am with you. I clean my coop out every morning before the shower and work. The coop has pine bedding and I have a box of those plastic food gloves, double glove a hand and pick the droppings up put themin the bucket to be dumped in my compost tumbler. I have 18 chickens and they end up with like 4 piles under their roost, its quick and it stays cleaner and nicer espcially for when visitors come. Their outer run is dirt so I rake that out once a week. Happy chickens and big chicken momma.

 

[RhodeIslandRedFan]

6chicks&aduck :

Since winter came ,
every day i clean the droppings up out of the shavings on the coop floor,
and every second or third
day i go through the straw in the run and clean up that too, its all frozen this time of year , so its easy to pick up.
just dont like them to have to walk around in it ,

I do the same in the summer, but have sand in the run and use a kitty litter scoop to clean it up .
i need to remake a dropping board for under the roosts .
it does'nt seem like a pleasant job,

but my birds sure enjoy the time im spending w them and they have become so much tamer ,
enjoying a pet or a scratch

, pulling at my boot laces and zippers on my coveralls lol. and most of all jumping on me !!!

for me its been a great way to get to know my birds personalities too !

Just wondering if anyone else does this type of maintenance ?

I pick up in my coop and run daily, pretty much as you described. It takes me only a few minutes in the morning and again in the evening. Keeps the area clean, and gives me a chance to observe my chickens for any unusual behavior.​