Can you sand off the poop?

[Qi Chicken]

I admit I have been a little lax with the cleaning. the roosts are...not nice. The roosts are 1x6's on their side so the 6" side is what they sit on. The front inch isn't bad, the top isn't bad but the back 1" near the wall is very very bad.

Any great ideas to get it off?

I would like to repaint the roosts, They are painted now but would like it fresh and clean for fall cleaning. How long after painting can they go back in? the weather has turned crappy, not that I shouldn't have expected it but I need two more weekends!

 

[Judy]

I'd sand them but not paint them. They just scratch the paint off. One thing you can do is oil them periodicallly, like with veggie oil.

 

[Cargo]

I would change them out to 2x4's.
My 2x4 roosts stay clean other than the occasional accident.

Scraping is better than sanding due to dust.

 

[Judy]

I have 2x4's, wide side up, and they get poop on them all the time. I also scrape rather than sand.

 

[mdbokc]

Bare wood 2 x 4s also. I scrape as necessary. I have used a simple garden trowel for all scraping and pick for years....works fine. Sprinkle a little DE on the roosts as necessary. They stay good as new.

 

[Montana-Hens]

Good metal blade putty knife, or paint scraper work well and no dust kicked up from sanding.

 

[Qi Chicken]

Ok, Good ideas all. Look like the metal scraper is definitely the way to go. I'm heading to the basement now to finish making new poop boards. Will find a scraper and head on out there. Probably won't paint the roosts this year as the weather is really nasty and I would want them to be out for a couple of days. Our two injured birds are just about ready to go back with the others. Rooster needs a bath to get all the sticky medicated cream out of his feathers. I don't know if I'm up for that today! Have a good weekend everybody! Crazy as it sounds I do love chicken chores.

 

[elmo]

You really wouldn't want to inhale the poop particles produced from sanding dried on droppings (yuck), so if you sand the roost be sure to wear a good dust mask. I find that it helps to scrape any droppings off the roost every day so it doesn't build up. After you scrape, if there is anything left you can get rid of it with this stuff:

http://www.petco.com/product/12828/Poop-Off-Bird-Poop-Remover.aspx

 

[patandchickens]

Just to add, the reason for the suggestions to switch from a 6" roost to a 4" roost is because the reason you're having such bad poo deposits is that your 6" roost is so wide that their bums are still over it when they poo. A 4" roost is plenty wide enough for all but the hugest chciken breeds, yet allows the great majority of the poo to occur off the sides of it.

If you have trouble getting the roost clean enough for your personal preferences by just scraping, take a rag and get it wrung-out damp (ideally with hot water), and lay that on the roost for an hour or two. Then go at it with your paint scraper or similar device. Makes a BIG difference

Good luck, have fun,

Pat