cleaning the poop

[tammybur]

We have only had our chicks for 2 weeks so they are still in a big box in the basement. Is their any easy way to clean up ALL the poop??? This is our first time owning chicks and we don't know anything about these little gals so any help would be helpfull.

Tammy

 

[ryan820]

I've had mine for three weeks and this is what I do...

Lay down newspaper and every day, or more often, I roll it up, toss it and replace it. The used paper goes into the compost bin. We didn't use shavings or anything like that-- the lady that sold them to us said not to bother.

 

[rebbetzin]

What are you using for a "litter" in the box? Are you in an area that is still to cold for them to be outside? Do you have a coop built yet?

I am in a warm climate, so my chicks go directly to the coop with a heat lamp, at night if needed.

In my coop I have straw, that I take off the droppings from the top layer each morning. And in the run area, I have sand, and I use a kitty litter scoop to pick up the dropping in the run area.

I guess I am not the best one to ask, since I never kept my chicks in a box. I suppose much depends on what you are using in the box.

 

[Carrie Lynn]

Incidently, chickie poop has even more good minerals than adult chiken poop. Although, the volume is, of course, much less.

 

[mcjessen]

I have about 2-3" of pine shavings in the bottom of the brooder. Every morning I hand scrap (with a glove of course) the top layer off with the poo in it. I add more every couple days and them completely change out all the shavings on Sunday. It's worked well so far. When I moved to the larger brooder I bought a kitty litter scoop. It goes a lot faster than using my hand. LOL!

 

[suzeqf]

i scoop poo out before and after work with a food service glove and put it in a plastic tote and i change the litter completly twice a week for my baby brooder i put puppy pads down and then put pine shavings over the top it makes changing the litter very easy but for my big girls(6 weeks old) i use some scrap vinyl in their brooder and shavings over the top they discovered the puppy pads and started playing with them and had it uncovered and had pulled it up and were pecking at the backing so i had to take them out but i still have them under their food and waterer because it's anchored down with bricks and i found a fabulous broom/dustpan at sams that fits perfectly in my brooder boxes and will work really well for the coop

 

[NickyPick]

I have 14 chicks. I started with paper towels over newspaper and picked up the towels and replaced every day for about 5 days. Then I put shavings over the newspaper and just added more shavings every 3 days or so. After the third add, I'd dump the whole thing back on the compost pile and start fresh. The brooder was kept behind the couch in the TV room and my mom was home most of the day and never mentioned smelling anything but warm shavings.

Here's the brooder I used:

Oh - and as they got older (7 weeks old today), I added blocks to raise up the feeders and waterers to keep them from kicking too much shavings in them. At 4 weeks, I stretched a strip of that orange flexible construction fence over the top as they started flying out!!