Any good deep bedding coop clean out ideas?

[Peke's Poultry]

I’m looking for easy coop clean out ideas. I’m tired of dusty shovelling and it takes forever to get it all out. I have visions of that machine cities use to clean out their sidewalks with a giant hose. I want to suck it all out straight to the compost heap. Is this even possible?

 

[CindyinSD]

In my experience a combination of pitchfork, scoop shovel & push broom works. If you want to go cleaner than that, a home pressure washer will help. The good part is that the chicken yard is my compost area. Since my current coop has a plywood floor, the bedding doesn’t compost in the coop.

 

[Sequel]

Can you take pics of your setup? I thought the idea of deep litter was not having to shovel it out a lot??? I don't like shoveling much either.

 

[Peke's Poultry]

Can you take pics of your setup? I thought the idea of deep litter was not having to shovel it out a lot??? I don't like shoveling much either.

I only shovel it out about twice a year, but with deep bedding there’s a lot to shovel out and my compost heap isn’t that close. My coop has a wooden floor.

 

[Kayla's Lunch]

I have only had my chickens since June 2018, but when the bedding gets too deep, I just pitch fork it into the run. I don't really do much of anything with it.

 

[CindyinSD]

I have only had my chickens since June 2018, but when the bedding gets too deep, I just pitch fork it into the run. I don't really do much of anything with it.

That’s me, too. I haven’t been adding a lot at a time. When things get fragrant I stir up the bedding, then if it’s still needed I sprinkle a layer of pine shavings or straw or whatever I have.

At present they’re traveling around our place in portable coops, cleaning up after the cows. I move their coop everyday and it does need it. Deep bedding does a LOT. You really see that when you’re not using it.

 

[blackdog043]

How big is your coop and how deep is the bedding?

I have an 8 x 12 coop. When I clean it out, about once a year or longer, my pine shavings accumulate to 6 - 7 inches deep. I put a wheelbarrow at the coop door, shovel the bedding in and dump it in my deep litter run. It takes about 1/2 hr to do.

 

[aart]

a home pressure washer will help.

Wet is not the way to go, IMO.

How big is your coop and how deep is the bedding?

I have an 8 x 12 coop. When I clean it out, about once a year or longer, my pine shavings accumulate to 6 - 7 inches deep. I put a wheelbarrow at the coop door, shovel the bedding in and dump it in my deep litter run. It takes about 1/2 hr to do.

Ditto on the size question......and pics would help too.

I have and do about that same as @blackdog043 .
Small plastic snow shovel puts the bedding into old feed bags pretty quickly.
But I do use a poop boards and floor bedding is only about 4" deep.

 

[CindyinSD]

Wet is not the way to go, IMO.


Ditto on the size question......and pics would help too.

I have and do about that same as @blackdog043 .
Small plastic snow shovel puts the bedding into old feed bags pretty quickly.
But I do use a poop boards and floor bedding is only about 4" deep.

Once everything else is out it actually works pretty well for me... Cuts down on dust. Dries fast on a hot day. But we’re talking about no chickens on site and an exterior-grade plywood floor so yes... it might not work that well for everyone.

 

[aart]

Once everything else is out it actually works pretty well for me... Cuts down on dust. Dries fast on a hot day. But we’re talking about no chickens on site and an exterior-grade plywood floor so yes... it might not work that well for everyone.

Might work good in an arid and windy place...but could set up a fine batch of mold and mite watering in other places.