Coop Cleaning, Schedules & Maintenance.

[SteveBaz]

First off I know everyone is on there own schedule but I am curious with so many chicken owners what other really come up with. I am so new "I DO NOT KNOW"!! I have been using This fantastic board of people. Common sense and flying by the seat of my pants. What the Hay anyways they are chickens I fell in love with

Daily Chores
Weekly Chores
Monthly Chores (If any)

What I do now, pretty much of the time. What things do you do?

Daily
I pick up the poop that I find in the run, coop and the brooder box.
Change the water.
Get all the contaminants out of the food dish and around the water bowl.
Food and Water is off the floor with concrete blocks, keeps shavings and dirt out of the water and feed dish.
I always check and inspect the birds. Stoking opportunity. (if they allow me)

Weekly
Wash the watering unit from sediment and mud in the cup
Clean out real good the pellet food pan
Refill the Rescue Fly catchers
Rake the run. I get fly’s galore for not cleaning like cantaloupe skins, watermelon rings and basic garbage

What other chores do you do regarding the Chix, coop, run to look for?
Anything you throw out to kill odor? (Lime but the birds?)
Do you let them roam out of the run freely around your home to get out?
Things to look for that birds get, colds, infections in their eyes or other stuff I need to know to look for?
Do you even check out your chix to make sure they have clear eyes no runny poop or whatever?
Does winter bring out any health dangers for the chix or summer?

Thanx

Steve

 

[nickie]

My daily routine involves raking the litter and sitting down to watch everyone poop at least once. Mostly I just do what needs to be done and enjoy them, but I always find time to check everyone's basic state of health (poo) every day.

 

[ailurophile23]

Sounds like you have a good routine already - keep up the good work! Observing your chickens will go a long way to catching any problems early. Other things I do - once a month, I completely clean out the sawdust from the coop and let everything air out. If the vinyl flooring looks messy (rare), I may hose out the coop then really let it dry (only done on sunny days and maybe once or twice a year). After cleaning out the sawdust, I sprinkle poultry dust on the vinyl floor, then add more sawdust, sprinkling poultry dust in it as I go. I never have odor problems in the coop as long as I do the daily cleaning and the run only smells a little if we have a lot of rain and it stays wet for a while. I put a tarp roof over part of it to help keep things dry. Chickens are out in completely enclosed run during day while I am at work - when I am home they get some "free-range" time in their larger but still fenced area with grass.

 

[SteveBaz]

Quote:
What is POuLTRY DUST?

 

[nickie]

It's like seven dust but waaay cheaper. It's for lice and mites. I use de and poultry dust in my litter.

Forgot to mention I try to pick everyone up as often as I can to fully examine them. Some daily and some only get once a week.

 

[ailurophile23]

Go to your local feed and seed or Tractor Supply or Southern States or.... where ever you get your poultry supplies. They have stuff called Poultry Dust (various brands) usually in the fly repellant section, sometimes with cattle supplies... depends on the stores. Great for preventing or controlling lice and mites in the coop and on the birds. You can even dust the birds with this (though it can be a challenging undertaking).

 

[SteveBaz]

I bought at the feed store D.E. (diatomaceous earth) and spread it all over 2 full cups for 3X5 area of beach sand. They said this will control the lice for sure? Was I mislead?

Steve

 

[SteveBaz]

double post error I am sorry

 

[nickie]

I don't think so, I use both for my peace of mind since I'm always in the coop and they are always all over me.

 

[blueberrychickens]

I try to clean the poop board at least 2-3 times a week, rake out the run 1x a week, complete change out of bedding & straw in nest boxes, every 6 months, unless the waterer leaks while I'm on vacation & the chicken sitter didn't notice.

I add fresh sand to the poop board as necessary, I also throw in some coffee chaff w/ their shavings about 1x/month to make the coop smell good. Also I use DE in their bedding, nest boxes, poop board & on roosts. I put DE in their favorite dust bathing spots too. My girls never have a bad smell to them, even on the dampest days.