Cleaning the coop

[houseofclucks]

Hi all! How often do you clean your coop? I have 5 young hens/pullets and I was wondering if I should be scooping the poop out on a daily basis, or should I let it ferment in there until the entire coop needs to be cleaned? I feel bad if they are sleeping in a coop with poop in it. The coop is modeled after a chicken tractor design. It is not a coop I can walk into and clean. I have about a 11/2" of pine wood shavings on the floor, and there is a wood roost bar that runs the lenth of the coop. Thanks for any thoughts on the matter.

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

We clean ours daily of any overnight poop. Under the perches we have a dropping tray which sometimes needs replacing the shavings, plus we use DE on the perches and under them.

 

[houseofclucks]

I don't mean to sound stupid, but what is DE?

 

[Gracefulspice]

I have 6 hens and I clean up their poop every morning because it's easy. It's all in one location. I do spot cleaning when I get home from work (early aftrenoon) and spot clean again after dinner. It does not smell at all. And also helps keep the shaving nice and fluffy. I think they like the floor for nesting better at this point cause I never find eggs in the nesting boxes.

They dug themselves 2 nests. And I find them laying in them just to rest sometimes.

Yea...and what is DE?

 

[akcskye]

I would assume DE may mean diatomaceous (sp?) earth??

 

[SpottedCrow]

DE is Diatomaceous Earth...it's made from the exoskeletons from little critters that are from the water...
We use it for a pesticide and a wormicide...I know that's not the correct name, but I was too lazy to spell antihelminthic.
If you put it in the dustbathing wallows, that will help keep away mites and fleas.
If you give them a treat that's a wormer too, mix up some yogurt, DE and applesauce.
I have house chickens that I scoop poop for every day and they get a full cleaning once a month with new newspapers and a clean tarp, windows done too...