Cleaning the coop

[ChickenCrazy8]

I have 6 chickens...
The inside of my coop is 5ftx7ft. I am using the deep litter method and will be cleaning the coop twice a year. Is this enough?

 

[mickey328]

I've read where lots of folks do it about that often. I should think that a big hint as to when it's time would be the odor, LOL. I would start out with 2 or 3 inches, and as it gets poopy, stir it around so the poo sinks lower down and add another inch or two of bedding. Another thing that will help is Sweet PDZ...it really helps dry out the poo and therefore keep the odor way down.

We'd probably go with the same method, but ours is a tractor and has a ramp in the floor. DH put a 1 x 4 frame around it but we still lose some bedding down the ramp with their scratching. So we can only keep 2 or 3 inches in it at most. Even with that we don't have to clean it all out often...we scoop what we can see and sprinkle liberally with the PDZ and it smells better in the coop after 2 weeks than it does in the run after 2 days, LOL.

 

[RedStarLady1207]

I guess I am not clear on what people mean when they say 'cleaning the coop'. It is 'cleaning the COOP' or 'cleaning the POOP' you are asking about?

IMO a coop should have poop removed reguarly and cleaned out more than twice a year for other reasons (like spiderwebs, mites, dust, dander, poopy or dirty feeders or waterers, misc. stuff.

 

[Chickensandbirds]

^ agree!

I clean my coops, daily. -just a personal preference. The poop is scooped out in the morning and evening. A fresh fluffy towel is placed in each nesting box, daily. The run is scooped, daily. -and, at the end of each day after the chickens have roamed the yard for a while, the poop that has just been freshly deposited on the lawn is watered into the grass. -requires time and attention, but eliminates all odor. -can't smell that there are chickens on the premises. I enjoy spending time outdoors with the flock and tending the flowers/garden, so it isn't any trouble.

 

[Jakoda]

I also scoop poop daily I scoop the poop boards, and whatever else I see inside, then go around their run and rake / scoop..I've been using Lucerne ground cover in my coop, it's a couple inches deep, I just fluff it up and it still is smelling nice after starting using this about 2 months ago..I do add to it, as the chickies scratch some out of the coop.

I'll probably give it a good cleaning right before winter sets in.