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.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Good comments above.

Clean can mean different things to different people. We have different standards. Some expect to keep things pretty pristine while others have much more relaxed standards. Mine are along the lines of their coop and run not stinking with a bit of them and me not tracking wet poop around.

If poop stays dry it will not stink. If it gets wet and stays wet for a few days it will. If it is too wet for aerobic microbes to breathe oxygen then anaerobic microbes take over. Aerobic microbes breathe oxygen, anaerobic microbes do not. Anaerobic microbes cause it to stink after a few days. It needs to be dry enough so the anaerobic cannot live and multiply.

If poop piles up thick enough it will not dry out. Where we typically see this is under the roosts. They move around during the day so the poop gets spread out but at night they are not moving and it can build up enough for this to be a problem. A lot of us manage this build-up on a regular basis.

The other issue is when water is spilled or rainwater gets the coop or run wet and they stay wet. If water drains away this is usually not a big problem but it can be. Does water collect in your coop or run area or does it drain away, this is your first issue.

Where bedding comes in is that bedding should be dry. If they poop in it the bedding absorbs the moisture and the poop dries out. With sand as a bedding the moisture can drain away and sand is dry, provided your drainage allows it to drain away. Wood shavings, straw, hay, wood chips, or other bedding will absorb the moisture and dry out the poop so it doesn't stink as long as the bedding is dry.

Another factor is how many chickens you have and how big of an area they have. If you have a lot of chickens in a small area the poop load can build up to where you have a problem.

There is another side to this. For microbes to live and reproduce they need a certain amount of water. Too much moisture and they become anaerobic. Too little and they die. The deep litter method requires a minimal amount of water so the microbes can break down the chicken poop but not enough for them to turn anaerobic. A compost pile works exactly the same way. A lot of people on this forum turn their coop and especially the run into a compost pile.

I do not. My coop (has a dirt floor) stays so dry that the poop is never broken down. But it stays dry enough that it is never a problem. I collect the poop from under the roosts where it builds and move it to my compost pile.

Some people need to manage the poop quite often, often weekly. Some of us can go 6 month or a year or even more before we need to remove the bedding. It may need to go to a compost pile for a while. I clean my coop out in the fall and put it directly in the garden. By Spring planting time it has broken down enough it will not harm the plants.

I don't know what way to manage the poop will be for you. We each have our unique circumstances and standards. You'll need to find your own way that fits your situation. Good luck!