Clean Coop=Clean Nest=Clean Eggs That Don't Need Washing

[ShannonsChimkens]

Goose doesn’t agree with the whole clean eggs thing. Summer time (2 months or so) in Western Washington = clean eggs. Spring, fall and winter in Western Washington = dirty eggs. Almost all eggs I sell are rinsed except during those warm and dry two months.

I would have a bunch of unhappy free range chickens if they were cooped to get clean eggs. Nothing wrong with having a spotless coop. I personally choose to have dirty coops with free ranging. They get the sand floors wet after a two day down pour, they walk in the mud and track it in, they step in poop as I only clean the coops once a week

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Goose doesn’t agree with the whole clean eggs thing. Summer time (2 months or so) in Western Washington = clean eggs. Spring, fall and winter in Western Washington = dirty eggs. Almost all eggs I sell are rinsed except during those warm and dry two months.
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I would have a bunch of unhappy free range chickens if they were cooped to get clean eggs. Nothing wrong with having a spotless coop. I personally choose to have dirty coops with free ranging. They get the sand floors wet after a two day down pour, they walk in the mud and track it in, they step in poop as I only clean the coops once a week

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What a pretty flock! Yes, to each his zone, eh?

 

[ShannonsChimkens]

What a pretty flock! Yes, to each his zone, eh?

Thank you! And yes, you are correct!

Chickens are disgusting creatures (from a human standpoint). When I sift through the sand floors and put it under the grated roost areas, they come running to dig through the goods

One of their chicken friends was killed by a hawk and half of the chicken was still there… got home from work and caught a bunch of chickens eating their friend

 

[Aunt Angus]

Goose doesn’t agree with the whole clean eggs thing. Summer time (2 months or so) in Western Washington = clean eggs. Spring, fall and winter in Western Washington = dirty eggs. Almost all eggs I sell are rinsed except during those warm and dry two months.
View attachment 2862016

I would have a bunch of unhappy free range chickens if they were cooped to get clean eggs. Nothing wrong with having a spotless coop. I personally choose to have dirty coops with free ranging. They get the sand floors wet after a two day down pour, they walk in the mud and track it in, they step in poop as I only clean the coops once a week

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Gorgeous!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Goose doesn’t agree with the whole clean eggs thing. Summer time (2 months or so) in Western Washington = clean eggs. Spring, fall and winter in Western Washington = dirty eggs. Almost all eggs I sell are rinsed except during those warm and dry two months.
View attachment 2862016

I would have a bunch of unhappy free range chickens if they were cooped to get clean eggs. Nothing wrong with having a spotless coop. I personally choose to have dirty coops with free ranging. They get the sand floors wet after a two day down pour, they walk in the mud and track it in, they step in poop as I only clean the coops once a week

View attachment 2862023

I clean my coop every morning. There's no poop in it when I leave for work in the morning. My eggs were pretty much always clean until:

1) I rescued a couple of older hens. One is 6+ years and can't seem to keep from pooping and laying simultaneously

2) I got ducks who, despite having their own house and nesting boxes, think they're chickens (note: ducks like water, so they get a lil dirty and sometimes get things dirty - including eggs, god forgive me)

3) I moved from a suburban lot with a well manicured and adequately drained yard in the Sacramento Valley to a rural house in a heavily wooded valley in NorCal foothills

Where you live makes a HUGE difference. I might have started a similar thread before we moved out to the farm.

My sister lived in a few different cities in Washington. It's the Evergreen State because it rains. All. The. Time. I remember washing her cars in the rain. Such a beautiful state! Like a postcard wherever you turn.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thank you! And yes, you are correct!

Chickens are disgusting creatures (from a human standpoint). When I sift through the sand floors and put it under the grated roost areas, they come running to dig through the goods

One of their chicken friends was killed by a hawk and half of the chicken was still there… got home from work and caught a bunch of chickens eating their friend

Disgusting to us, but makes sense from a survival standpoint. Leaving half a chicken carcass lying around close to home is an open invitation to all sorts of predators. Better to clean it up than have the nasties in your front yard. Nature's way and all that. Basically a chicken funeral. They can't wield shovels.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Thank you! And yes, you are correct!

Chickens are disgusting creatures (from a human standpoint). When I sift through the sand floors and put it under the grated roost areas, they come running to dig through the goods

One of their chicken friends was killed by a hawk and half of the chicken was still there… got home from work and caught a bunch of chickens eating their friend

That's always my fear ... one dies while I'm not there and the others decide its dinner time. I just have to wonder though if the cannibalism starts from curiosity - like peck, why you just laying here? Peck ... get up....peck, peck, peck.....

 

[Nicrom]

It seems the original intent of this post was to share what a clean coop can accomplish- if possible. While reading it, I felt no pressure to do it that way or any judgments for the way I keep my coop. I though that’s what this site was for, to share information with others? Anyways, thank you for taking the time to do just that.

 

[Aunt Angus]

It seems the original intent of this post was to share what a clean coop can accomplish- if possible. While reading it, I felt no pressure to do it that way or any judgments for the way I keep my coop. I though that’s what this site was for, to share information with others? Anyways, thank you for taking the time to do just that.

I'm sure it's well-intentioned, but one other thing I've learned in the years I've been a BYC member is that the folks on this site are from all over the world and live such vastly different lives that no one solution, idea, or piece of advice fits everyone. Knowing how to design and maintain a coop/run in one specific location does not mean that it will work for everyone. Example: Sand is great, but maybe there isn't any available where you live. Maybe it's crazy cold where you live and your birds need warmer substrate. Maybe it's crazy hot where you live and sand retains too much heat. Maybe you live in a rainforest, and there's no way to keep your birds/eggs clean when it's the wet season.

Saying "Hey - I've found a way that works for me. Maybe it will work for you, too" is a lot different than saying "Hey - your eggs are only dirty because you don't know how to maintain and design coops."

Reread this part here: "The only reason eggs get poop on them is if the chickens bring it in on their feet (from a dirty coop) or poop while laying (rare)."

Those are definitely not the only reasons eggs get dirty. And much of the original post is pretty smug, tbh.

 

[Nicrom]

I'm sure it's well-intentioned, but one other thing I've learned in the years I've been a BYC member is that the folks on this site are from all over the world and live such vastly different lives that no one solution, idea, or piece of advice fits everyone. Knowing how to design and maintain a coop/run in one specific location does not mean that it will work for everyone. Example: Sand is great, but maybe there isn't any available where you live. Maybe it's crazy cold where you live and your birds need warmer substrate. Maybe it's crazy hot where you live and sand retains too much heat. Maybe you live in a rainforest, and there's no way to keep your birds/eggs clean when it's the wet season.

Saying "Hey - I've found a way that works for me. Maybe it will work for you, too" is a lot different than saying "Hey - your eggs are only dirty because you don't know how to maintain and design coops."

Reread this part here: "The only reason eggs get poop on them is if the chickens bring it in on their feet (from a dirty coop) or poop while laying (rare)."

Those are definitely not the only reasons eggs get dirty. And much of the original post is pretty smug, tbh.

Ah, good points! I keep a pretty clean coop and get the occasional poop spotted egg. There is absolutely no way to keep them pristine. Sometimes tone can be hard to convey through text if one isn’t intentional with their words. I’m glad you shared your thoughts.