Coop clean out

[Our6chicks]

My current pen is a temporary setup with a very low chicken per square foot density in it so I haven't really used litter in it, except to cover bare areas with pine straw/leaves raked from other areas of our yard. We're planning to put it back to lawn so I didn't put wood chips or anything that wouldn't degrade easily or be easily raked back up into it.

For my in-town setup, I forked it out when it got inconveniently deep or when odor issues couldn't be solved with another 3-4" of dry organic material. That was between 3-4 months in hot, wet weather and 6 months in cool, dry weather.

I'm anticipating using wood chips, pine straw, leaves, straw, etc. in the permanent run to create a "forest floor" style deep litter environment and to fork it out primarily when I want compost for my garden. If I get the setup and chicken density right it should never "need" cleaning, just the addition of more organic material as the composting happens.

Gotcha. That’s what I have been doing. Adding material from our land/backyard which includes pine straw, leaves, etc. I added a bale of straw intact so they could entertain themselves. I have 9 chickens and 175 foot run.

 

[jreardon1918]

We have a 4x8 raised coop. We recently took out the poop boards in an effort to lower and move the roosts away from the roof and walls a bit. We did not get the poop boards reinstalled. So, we are trying adding shavings through the winter. So far no smell and the humidity is still not a problem. Currently conditions in the coop are 26F & 76% humidity. The town readings are 27F & 77% humidity at 8:40am. As long as this continues, There will be no large cleanout.

I have mentioned in other threads that our coop tends to lag a few hours behind humidity changes. The humidity has dropped outside to 55% at 11am. Inside the coop is currently 66%. The sun is shining through the run plastic wrap and the open windows. So the temperature is running ahead of outside. 38F outside vs. 45F in the coop. I normally use the technology as a reference. I also observe conditions. By nightfall, the temperature and humidity will be close to equal in and out of the coop.

 

[drinkoj]

You're welcome.

I don't poop scoop the cat litter box either. If I give the cats a nice, deep pan they bury the poop and it doesn't stink. If they can't bury the poop anymore then it's full of urine and would need changing even if I couldn't see visible poop.

If it looks dirty and I can smell it then it's time to clean it.

Boy, you and me got different indoor cats then. My 3 barely cover their poop and if it's "too dirty" to them, they'll poop on a floor mat else where. Our four litter boxes have about 3 to 4 inches of litter, how deep are yours?

 

[3KillerBs]

Boy, you and me got different indoor cats then. My 3 barely cover their poop and if it's "too dirty" to them, they'll poop on a floor mat else where. Our four litter boxes have about 3 to 4 inches of litter, how deep are yours?

I'm not sure how deep, because DH and the teen boys handle it, but it's a big pan. My cats are fastidious about burying their waste. When one was ill last winter I found the mess covered with a torn-up paper-towel out of the trash.

 

[aart]

Great! Now I don’t feel so bad. After I pick up their turds in the morning, I do a quick turnover for any I missed. I also use Coop Recuperate. Pictured below. It dries poop up and refreshes.

Save your money......this is basically snake oil.

I thought leaving the poop in to compost and create warmth in the winter was the point?

That rarely actually works, plus with adequate ventilation heating the coop in any way is moot.


What kind of bedding you use may depend on how you manage the manure.
This is about cleaning, but covers my big picture

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.
-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.
-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.
- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.
-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.
That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 7 years.

 

[RebeccaRN]

Save your money......this is basically snake oil.

That rarely actually works, plus with adequate ventilation heating the coop in any way is moot.


What kind of bedding you use may depend on how you manage the manure.
This is about cleaning, but covers my big picture

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.
-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.
-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.
- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.
-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.
That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 7 years.

I have a thermometer and humidity gauge in my coop and it actually does stay about 4-5 degrees warmer in there.

 

[aart]

I have a thermometer and humidity gauge in my coop and it actually does stay about 4-5 degrees warmer in there.

5° isn't much....natural swing, probably changes thru out the day/night.
Is the humidity the same inside the coop and outside?

 

[RebeccaRN]

Humidity was 60% earlier when I checked i dont know what it was outside. It wasn't very cold today and the chickens only sleep in their coop they are outside all day

 

[aart]

Humidity was 60% earlier when I checked i dont know what it was outside.

Comparing both temps and humidity inside and outside the coop is a good way to assess adequate ventilation.

 

[RebeccaRN]

Comparing both temps and humidity inside and outside the coop is a good way to assess adequate ventilation.

I've put as much ventilation as possible for that coop aside from opening the window and leaving the door open, so I'm hoping its adequate.