Chicken poop in coop

[MsBentleyboy]

Does anyone have any recommendations for dissolving/digesting chicken poop in the coop (or roost area).

The area below the roost is building up and we have a wire over the boards so it falls down below. But now I can't get to it to rake it out without taking apart some of the coop.

 

[arlee453]

I have raised coops and they have to be at least 18" off the ground for me to get under there good with the rake.

I'm not sure what to tell you other than to raise up your coop, if possible.

Anything you put under the coop will be a bad idea, I'd think, since the moisture, etc will evaporate right up into the coop. But maybe someone will have just the right idea for you.

When I build my first coop off of plans I got on ebay, I realized AFTER I had it done and the chickens moved in, that there was really no way to get into it to clean it at all. THAT'S when I figured out why the plans called for 1" chicken wire on the bottom and not hardware cloth...

I had to go back and pry off the two back panels and make doors out of them. Now when the poop collects up too high on the hardware cloth, I'm able to get in there with a hoe and scrape it out. The coop sits about 20" high so I'm able to get under it with a rake and shovel out what falls underneath.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I would look at modifying the coop design, to make it easy to clean. It would definitely be worth it, for a chore that needs to be done regularly in a coop that you could have a long, long time.

 

[Reinbeau]

We built a door right into one corner of the coop that's rake wide, no lip, and my garden cart fits right under the opening. I'm planning on just raking it out into there weekly or biweekly and putting it right into my compost bin. Here it is from the inside:

And from the outside (the foundation will be fixed up later on, don't worry!):

 

[MsBentleyboy]

We almost built ours to allow for taking out the pooh... I wish we would have now. Probably a huge mistake.

However, I found some manure digester which does cut down on odor.

 

[Penske]

I have a droppings board about 5" under my roost. It is AMAZINGLY easy to clean! It's takes a about 2 minutes a day. i scoop the poop and shavings into a bucket, take to the compost, then fill the bucket with about 6 handfuls of shavings (if that) and replace where needed on the board. DONE. There is NO smell in my coop and the same shavings have been on the coop floor since April. I also stir the shavings to keep everything fluffy.

Does that help? Could you retro-fit with a board??

Lisa

 

[steffpeck]

Penske, I would like to see a picture if you had one available.

 

[MsBentleyboy]

Quote:
Sounds great. I might be able to work something oul if I dig under my building a little. Yesterday I got in there with a water hose and just sprayed everything down and then took a bottle of Barn Odor Deodorizer (all natural enzymes) and sprayed over the area. It smells and looks good for now. I just hope it lasts over years to come.