cleaning the coop

[Dogfish]

Food grade DE can be pruchased at a health food store.

 

[The Fairy Godmartyr]

Quote:
You aren't supposed to use the pool stuff--it has chemicals that can be harmful. I got my DE at the hatchery when I got my chicks, but I have talked to my feed store even though they don't keep it in stock, they are happy to order it for me when I want it.

 

[rungirl]

I have 8 hens in a 8x12 coop. The floor is vinyl over pressure treated lumber planks and I put pine shavings down. It's all one room but one side has the roosts and the other is the "living room" area with the nest boxes, feeder and water. The poopy side is obviously the area under the roosts. So I turn it over and rake it when it starts looking bad and rotate the clean shavings from the living area over to the roost side. The chickens usually stir it up, but sometimes I help with the rake. Then I take fresh shavings and put them down on the living area and nest boxes. It's kind of a rotation of shavings from clean to dirty. The whole place stays nice and dry and I don't have any smell. I know I'm going to have lots of nice mulch in the spring when I start working in the garden. I'm only on my second bale of shavings since I started clean in November. If all goes well, I won't need to empty it all out until spring. Moisture is the big issue. If you can keep it dry in there, it makes a huge difference and the pine shavings really keep things dry. The roost side does get deeper, but it's a benefit because all those used shavings seem to really insulate the floor and keep it warmer, so they're warmer where they sleep.

Lisa

 

[Nostalchic]

I buy food grade (or feed grade, I suppose I should say) DE at my feed store, also available at Ranch Way feeds here - a bit cheaper than the health food store. Also was going to say, I've used the "deep litter" method before - I suppose my issue with it is it can be smelly and when you finally get around to cleaning out the coop, it's a REALLY big and unpleasant job. I have an 8X14' coop, and I like to hang out there with my hens and my friends (it's insulated and the inside is painted and there is chicken art on the walls...

I like to be in my coop and barn more than in my house on a nice day) so what I do now is put a 6 - 8" layer of pine bedding (not big curled shavings and not sawdust, but a small chipped texture that we get from a local sawmill and use for stall bedding also) and first thing in the morning when I let them out, I scrape the roosts off and pick up the poop with a "junior" manure fork. Takes 5 minutes, the coop stays clean and smells good, and I just add a little more bedding as needed.

 

[cslosberg]

You can get Diatomaceous Earth (DE) at the Issaquah Grange. Specify that you want FOOD Grade (I think it's the only one they sell but it doesn't hurt to make sure). It comes in 50 lb bags and lasts a long time.

 

[churchx3]

I started using a "poop hammock" about 2 months ago and am amazed how much cleaner the coop stays. Very little poo on the actual coop floor. I stretched sunblock material under the roosts and hooked the corners on hooks, then laid a tarp inside of that and put some DE and leaves on the tarp. Now cleaning out the coop is only a mattter of removing the dirty tarp once a week and placing a clean one down. I take the poo on the tarp to my garden area and dump it. I then put the tarp over my fence for cleaning which is pretty much a matter of allowing the rain to clean it off...it makes a BIG difference inside the coop. Pretty much all I have to do is rake up feathers in the bottom of the coop...

 

[enggass]

I got my DE here... good prices... especially if you buy the larger quantities.
http://www.earthworkshealth.com/products.php

 

[Chickadee55]

What is DE?

 

[Chickadee55]

I just read some info. about DE and it sounds like a miracle product.....sounds too good to be true actually. Not only a cure all but clean all as well.

 

[audioguy]

Quote:
Did not know DE could be used for anything but pools. That website has a lot of info. Thanks!!

How much do you mix with the pine bedding or do you just sprinkle about??