Chicken cleaning

[Oreoandhens]

Good morning everyone. I had a question of how often do you guys clean your chicken coops? I change the bedding once a week and also wash down the wood chips. Also pick poo up in their coop throughout the week.

 

[aart]

also wash down the wood chips.

Wait-What!?

Using liquid in a coop is never a good idea, dry chicken coops are healthy chickens coops.
But how the heck do you 'wash' wood chips?


-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.
-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.
-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.
- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.
-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).
There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 7 years.

 

[Oreoandhens]

Wait-What!?

Using liquid in a coop is never a good idea, dry chicken coops are healthy chickens coops.
But how the heck do you 'wash' wood chips?


-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.
-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.
-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.
- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.
-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).
There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 7 years.

I just spray them with a power sprayer, they are the Flyte so fancy wood chips for chicken runs, I’m not sure if you thought I put them in the coop haha. Thank you, that seems like a great method!

 

[Oreoandhens]

I just spray them with a power sprayer, they are the Flyte so fancy wood chips for chicken runs, I’m not sure if you thought I put them in the coop haha. Thank you, that seems like a great method!

I do use pine wood shavings in the coop, not wet wood chips!!!!

 

[GC-Raptor]

When my coops are at capacity, I clean weekly, half capacity biweekly. No poop boards here.

My coops are small 7 and 6 LF chickens. The 7 chicken coop shown currently has 3 chickens, so gets cleaned every 2 weeks.
My chickens only eat and sleep in the raised coops. They have a partially covered run and under coop protection from the elements.

I thoroughly clean nests monthly, or immediately if soiled or an egg breaks. GC

 

[aart]

I just spray them with a power sprayer, they are the Flyte so fancy wood chips for chicken runs, I’m not sure if you thought I put them in the coop

Well, it wasn't real clear.

I change the bedding once a week and also wash down the wood chips.

Still wonder about power washing wood chips in a run...
....because poop and water usually equals stink.
Where does all the water go?
Got pics of your run?

 

[Oreoandhens]

When my coops are at capacity, I clean weekly, half capacity biweekly. No poop boards here.View attachment 2278570
My coops are small 7 and 6 LF chickens. The 7 chicken coop shown currently has 3 chickens, so gets cleaned every 2 weeks.
My chickens only eat and sleep in the raised coops. They have a partially covered run and under coop protection from the elements.View attachment 2278576
I thoroughly clean nests monthly, or immediately if soiled or an egg breaks. GC

That’s a lovely coop! We have 6 chickens so I just tend to clean it out weekly but not sure if I was cleaning it too often.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How often you may need to clean will depend on what your coop looks like, how many chickens you have, your management techniques, ad your tolerances and expectations.

I never wash mine down, inside or out. Every few years I may sweep some cobwebs off but general I consider non-poisonous spiders my friends. They catch a lot of bugs like flies and mosquitoes.

I use droppings boards. How often I scrape them depends on how many chickens I have using them and how humid the weather is. With a high chicken density and high humidity that might be once a week. With low chicken density and dry conditions that might be every six weeks. If it starts to smell I waited too long. That pure poop goes in my compost.
I clean the coop bedding out every three or four years, put it on my garden and till it in in the fall. By spring it's ready to plant. It's not that I need to clean it, I want that stuff in the garden. I could do that every fall but that sounds like work. I use wood shavings as bedding.

I clean my nests when I need to. After a broody hen hatches, if an egg breaks in there, something like that. Occasionally I may need to top off the bedding. I use grass from places I usually don't mow or weed eat, cut it and dry it. It's a little delicate so it does need to be topped off occasionally. They kind of shred it when scratching as they are arranging it for their nests.

I have a big walk-in coop and enough room and the climate so mine spend practically all day every day outside. That reduces the poop load inside. I keep mine really dry. I don't try to keep mine in a sterile environment, that's where tolerances come in. As long as it is dry and doesn't stink I consider it a healthy environment.

I'm pretty sure you are in a totally different situation than I'm in. That means you will need to manage it differently.

 

[Oreoandhens]

Well, it wasn't real clear.


Still wonder about power washing wood chips in a run...
....because poop and water usually equals stink.
Where does all the water go?
Got pics of your run?

I’m just following the instructions on the pack for the wood chips. I rake it all about several times a week too.

 

[Oreoandhens]

I’m just following the instructions on the pack for the wood chips. I rake it all about several times a week too.

Here is the run