Coop bedding (again)

[canman47]

I've read quite a few comments about coop bedding and I see there are many opinions but my question is, How do you clean it if you use anything besides sand? I have a poop sifter I use every day but how can you use that if you have straw or wood chips? Do you just let it pile up and eventually break down? I actually have bare dirt in the coop which is rather loose so I can sift it. The run on the other hand is large and totally natural. Like a compost bed. grass clippings, leaves, garden waste. It stays pretty nice but I don't think I want the poop to build up in the more enclosed coop do I?

 

[thecatumbrella]

I think most people either use some version of the deep litter method (where you keep topping off the bedding), or wipe the slate clean with a lesser amount on a schedule. It’s a good question!

 

[StinkyAcres]

Do you just let it pile up and eventually break down?

That's basically it. Unlike sand, bedding materials like straw and wood shavings ("browns" in composting terms) help break down the poop ("greens"). We clean out and replenish the bedding when the ratio of poop to bedding becomes too much (when the poop starts to stay wet and stinky). The deep bedding or deep litter methods are not for those who want a spotless coop, but it is great for those who want to make compost.

 

[StinkyAcres]

This is what my coop floor looks like (underneath is a wood floor). As long as the shavings are drying out the waste it doesn't cause a problem. It can go for several months before it needs to be changed out.

 

[saysfaa]

That's basically it. Unlike sand, bedding materials like straw and wood shavings ("browns" in composting terms) help break down the poop ("greens"). We clean out and replenish the bedding when the ratio of poop to bedding becomes too much (when the poop starts to stay wet and stinky). The deep bedding or deep litter methods are not for those who want a spotless coop, but it is great for those who want to make compost.

This except it doesn't necessarily ever get to where it stays wet or stinky. In that case, it gets cleaned out when the garden needs it (if it is deep litter) or the compost pile has space for it (if it is deep bedding) or it gets too deep to fit in the coop or the ratio of bone dry poop nuggets under the surface layers gets on a person's nerves. I'm not sure if mine got that way because of the depth of the bedding or space to chickens ratio or the abundant ventilation or maybe there are other possibilities but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the type of bedding because maple leaves just aren't very absorbent.

 

[saysfaa]

I've read quite a few comments about coop bedding and I see there are many opinions but my question is, How do you clean it if you use anything besides sand?

Move the whole thing out to the compost pile. A shovel and wheelbarrow work well enough for smaller cleanouts. But when I needed a lot out quickly, I discovered putting it on a tarp and dragging it (like we do the leaves on the lawn when they fall in autumn) works much better.

I have a poop sifter I use every day but how can you use that if you have straw or wood chips?

Generally, you don't.

Do you just let it pile up and eventually break down?

Not really. The poop doesn't pile up on top of the litter or bedding. It is worked down under the surface - a bit of scratch fanned out over the litter or bedding helps encourage this. Sometimes, if the bedding gets quite settled, kicking it up a little helps a lot. Well, usually kicking is easiest; a pitchfork works well too if the coop is big enough.

I actually have bare dirt in the coop which is rather loose so I can sift it. ...I don't think I want the poop to build up in the more enclosed coop do I?

I never used sand for the whole coop but did for the poop board for several years. I found sifting the poops out of sand works well for a while - about two years for a poop board about 3' wide by 8' long by about 3" deep with 3-4 hens using it. Then dampness and the bits of poop small enough to fit through the holes in the sifter built up enough to be obviously visible. My climate is rather humid, though. A different climate or soil type may have different results.