cleaning up the poop

[SCchickens2011]

i have a question... how would you go about cleaning out the poop in order to cut down on replacing shavings every two to three weeks? I clean my coop about once or twice a month simply becuase it is so dry inside all the poop dries out pretty quickly, but i keep thinking there must be a rake or something like a manure rake maybe that could be used to sift the shavings (like cat litter) so i don;t have to replace all the shavings every time? OR is it just better to replace everything once or twice a month? It gets kinda costly and DH has issues with the amount of shavings i have bought. I use only about half a bale each time, i know i will need a whole bale at least by time snow comes just so they stay warmer since i only use a heat lamp with 100w bulb in it over the roost. But suggestions from anyone will be appreciated

 

[JackE]

I clean out/replace all shavings in my coop twice a year. In between those cleanings, I'll add new shavings as the bedding starts to break down, That can be weeks. If I notice that it's getting kinda crappy looking in there, usually under the roosts, I'll stir the bedding and mix it around with a rake. But most of the time I let the chickens do the work by throwing a handful or two of scratch in there, that gets them going, and they will totally mix and stir the bedding on their own looking for little pieces of grain. This way will save you from wasting a lot of shavings.
Oh, and get rid of the heat lamp, the birds don't need it, and you are taking a chance on burning your coop down.
Jack