Are dried bits of poop mixed in shavings hazardous to their health?

[Carrie Lynn]

I use a cat litter scoop to clean up my small 4x4 coop twice a day.
While I am at work the girls must break-up or track thru any additional poop as they scratch thru the shavings.
By the time I get home the pieces are really too small to scoop, of course I pick up the larger deposits.

My concern is that they walk, eat (what they knock out of the feeder) and dust (shavings) bathe in there, with the dried poo "chips". Currently I have been changing the shavings every couple weeks. There is never an ammonia smell, and the coop only really smells when it's been closed up overnight and I go to scoop. Should I change out the shavings more often? So, are "chicken chips" hazardous when mixed in with shavings?

Thanks in advance

 

[ARose4Heaven]

No. The poo is not a problem as long as it is dry and not smelling up the place. If you are getting a bad smell just from having the coop closed overnight, you may need more ventilation.

 

[aggie9296]

Hazardous to who? The chickens. Nope. Thay are known to eat the poo too! If you keep the ammonia smell down and there is good ventilation, they should be all good.

 

[patandchickens]

Nope. As long as it is not getting insanely dusty, or wet-ucky, that's just fine. The stuff slowly breaks down to some degree.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat