cleaning the coop

[buffbrahmaboy]

Cleaning a coop with 5to10 chickens is pretty easy. We do our coop every other week and lay all new litter down. Clean the poop board often and there is never a bad smell. We clean the pen weekly and my chickens are clean and happy. We do diatomaceous earth when we clean the coops every time. I could not imagine cleaning my coop every 12 to 18 months. The poop build up must be insane. Yuck!

Do a search of "composting deep litter method". The 'bad' poop accumulates under the perches of the roost where it's dealt with much more frequently.

 

[booker81]

Deep litter method - I clean out early each spring (March) and put it all out on my garden to dry and finish a couple months before tilling down for my garden (May).

I'm about 8" deep give or take right now, but will be putting another bale of shavings in next week or so, since they all stay in the coop all winter and won't go out. I make sure to throw scratch down in the bedding so they kick up the manure under the roost - they stir it up pretty good though right now since they stay in (14 birds in 8x10' coop).

No odor, no yuck, and the compost process keeps the coop much warmer in the winter. I only have to use the water heater if it stays at 10-20 for 3 to 4 days in a row.

 

[Pico de Gallo]

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.

Unless you breathe too much dust and contract silicosis. Always wear a mask!

I use deep litter (coarse woodmill shavings, straw, sawdust blend...all free) and only clean 2-3 times a year, but then I also live in a windy high desert region.

 

[Oakieridge]

I use my own judgement. Generally I completely clean the runs and coops once a month. I clean the straw out of the nests weekly or more often if necc. We use straw in the nests and runs. If it is wet I just add dry on top until it starts to dry out and then I rake it so it will dry out. But our run is also covered for the most part so it doesnt get to wet.

Cathie

 

[chloezoebob101]

mine only needs it like every 3 months. i have 23 (0k maybe only 22 right now but I'm sur amy rooster will show up soon) it doesn't get dirty that often

 

[audioguy]

do you have a poop deck (droppings board) under your roosts? This helps keep the wood chips clean under the roosts and you can just scrape it off every day (or whenever you what)

I use a poop deck (never heard it called that, funny) when I modified the Purina plans. I also use the deep method of keeping 6 inches of shavings down. My 4 chicks have been living in the coop for 10 months and I just cleaned it about a month ago. I then compost all of it and add fresh new shavings. I have to sometimes add to it to keep it deep enough. Cost is very low. Tractor Supply has it all the time for $4.99 a bag.

 

[Blue Jeans]

What is DE? What about rodents? Does it attract rats?

 

[audioguy]

Welcome! Without going into extreme details, DE is a natural substance used as a way to kill bugs that have a hard
Exoskeleton like ants or beetles . It has microscopic diatoms that can remove the waxy layer and dries the bug out and they die .
You must use food grade DE, not the pool stuff . Find many more discussions here by doing a search or just Google it!

Use it all the time for ants. Its also dog safe too !!!

 

[Red Barn Farms]

It depends on the time of year and how much they stay inside the coop. In winter more often then spring and summer months. The average for me is a fast cleaning once a week and a "in depth" deep cleaning once a month.

 

[1cutechick]

What is DE? does that help keep the flies at bay? I have a good size coop, so I clean the poop decks every week or so and the floors about 1x month. We do seem to have a lot of flies, but it has been very hot and humid here too. Any suggestions about the flies? Thank you