Coop Cleaning

[torsinadoc]

I am ready to do my coop cleaning (first time for deep clean). The inside of my coop is plywood and I am not excited about spraying the interior with a water hose. I have a removable floor cover in glass board

I was going to clean the coop with vinegar and H2O2. I was going to scrap off and remove old dried feces then pray the entire inside of the coop (sections)with the vinegar and follow up with H2O2. Then scrub the area. Then repeat until entire coop is cleaned. I should not have to rinse. Use some DE, new pine shavings when it is dry then let them back in. Thoughts?

 

[Judy]

I would just use plain old soapy water, myself. Let it soak into the poop a bit, then hose it out, scrubbing if necessary. You can use a citrus or other green cleanser if you are concerned about commercial soaps, or you can use something like Spic n Span.. It's rimarily the friction, of scrubbing or hosing, that does the cleaning. Be sure to use DE very sparnigly due to its being so irritating to the respiratory system.

If your chicks had cocci, I would add a spraying with dilute amonia, then rinse, as it kills cocci.

 

[sunflour]

I like the idea of vinegar: According to the Chicken Chick you can use full strength apple cider vinegar and you don't have to wash it off. Here's her site:

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/10/5-tips-for-cleaner-coop-with-less-effort.html

Other sources suggest diluting the vinegar 50% with water. Haven't done this but really do need to do so soon, and vinegar seems to be the safest cleaning agent. I have used dilute liquid dish detergent on outdoor roosts and ramp - it takes a lot of water to get it off.

Would not use ammonia…the chickens contribute enough ammonia to the coop on their own.

 

[Maxamus]

If you want to reduce the smell and maintenance a little bit, I was told to dust the floor with Lime. It works for us. Just not too much or the chickens could burn they're feet.

 

[DustyLavender]

I cleaned and winterized my coop today, too. Someone said "food grade DE" works for smell and critters, so orderd it online and sprinkle over beddings. Will see what happens.

I also had to put two flocks together in one coop, preparing for weeks and I was ready to look for my new hens in the dark, and there they were, already settled in the new coop.

I'm so proud of my girls!
I knew today was the day )

 

[ProviderEx]

My coop/run is on a sealed concrete slab so I just scrape it up with a floor tile remover tool thing. Kind of like a giant spatula.
The nesting boxes inside the coop I made from dry erase white boards, facing in. So far, Nothing has stuck to it.

This is of course my experience of a whopping 9 weeks with 26 birds.
I also do clean every week and toss everything in the bin to age so I can use it in the gardens.

 

[Judy]

Lime is a good alternative to DE, and inexpensive. It needs to be agricultural lime. I prefer to buy elletized ag lime, slightl more expensive but we're only talking about a few dollars for about a 25 pound bag, and you only need a handful. I have a good sized coop and am still working on a bag I bought a couple of years ago. it also helps dry the poop, which both reduces odor and discourages flies. Some people prefer products intended for horse stalls such as Stall-Dri, which also work well.