Clean coop

[sophiajw23]

Suggestions on coop designs that making keeping a coop clean easier? Worst part about chickens. Tips!

 

[elmo]

Poop trays! Best invention since sliced bread.

I use plastic boot trays on shelf supports under the roosts.

In the morning, I take the trays out and dump/scrape into our composter. Then I hose the trays down and replace them in the coop, nice and clean.

I also use sand on the floor of the coop, and use a reptile litter scoop taped to a long handle to pick the droppings out of the sand.

My daily coop cleanup takes 5-10 minutes, tops. I wish our indoor bird chores went as quickly!

p.s. Someone here spotted boot trays at the Dollar Store...for $1. Can't beat that. I think I'm going to replace my large boot tray with two smaller ones. That will be easier to maneuver out of the coop door.

 

[nelgkel]

Quote:
AWESOME!! where did you find those trays elmo??

 

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
X2!! Some type of dropping board or other quick poop collection method under the roost saves bedding and time (IMO). I use a board rather than trays, and scrape the droppings off (into a bucket) with a 6" putty knife. Takes literally a few minutes a day to keep the coop clean

 

[elmo]

Quote:
AWESOME!! where did you find those trays elmo??

The big one I got at Gardeners Supply. The small ones which you can't see in the photo I got at The Container Store. But if I had it to do over, I'd head for the Dollar Store. I like the smaller trays, one right next to the other. better than the big one. I stack the two small ones right on top of each other and take them out of the coop that way, but the big one is so heavy and difficult to maneuver that I have to make a separate trip with that one.

 

[pat1297]

I have a screen instead of the board idea, but here recently I have discovered newspaper works great. I lay it down and they all poop on it. Easy clean up........They dont care where they poop, sometimes they will displace the paper but not usually.

 

[Gospel_Bird_house]

used FRP board (stuff on kitchen walls in resturaunts) on the floor of my coop and made a door the length of the coop along the floor (about 3" high) Hope this will work well for wash down. will let you know.

 

[N. Virginia]

I read on this post about a fabric chicken hammock (spelling?) Hung under the roosts. The benefit over a board is that the hammock allows the poop to dry naturally so one only needs to clean the hammock once a month or so instead of daily. Search for hammock on this site. Haven't tries it but plan to.
cheers,
N. VA

 

[elmo]

N. Virginia :

I read on this post about a fabric chicken hammock (spelling?) Hung under the roosts. The benefit over a board is that the hammock allows the poop to dry naturally so one only needs to clean the hammock once a month or so instead of daily. Search for hammock on this site. Haven't tries it but plan to.
cheers,
N. VA

It's a matter of personal preference. Personally, I'd rather slide/scrape poop off a plastic tray daily (that's very easy), than try to get a big pile of accumulated poo out of a fabric hammock monthly. We spend a lot of time in our coop with our chickens, and I just wouldn't like to be in there with droppings piling up.

I wonder if the poo hammocks attract flies?​

 

[AnnainMD]

1. Make the height of the clean out door even or slightly higher than the container you will sweep the bedding into (such as a wheelbarrow). Make sure there is an overhang otherwise the bedding will drop between the wheelbarrow and clean out door.

2. Paint the entire inside (especially chicken butt height and downwards) with glossy exterior pain. Multiple coats.

3. Minimize crevices in the coop if possible. We have studs exposed (but painted) so they make for a lot of cracks.

4. Make the coop tall enough for you to stand in and clean--WAY easier.

5. Poop boards or trays. We have trays and use stall-dry (granular) and it dries the poop to allow me to use a scooper.

6. Plan for a place to decompose the bedding/poop AWAY from anyplace that your neighbors or you would catch a whiff of--not pleasant.