Coop flooring and cleaning

[ridiculousness]

I'm a newbie and need help. We finally moved the girls into their coop and I lined most of the bottom with pine shavings. My husband says it should just be the ground and nothing else. I'm not sure what we should do and how to clean it. What do you all put down and how/how often do you clean the coop?

 

[karma23]

Sand!! And more sand! We mix the sand with the dirt, pine shavings and grass clippings. A quasi deep litter I guess? At any rate, it never smells of ammonia. They have more sand in the coop so they can do their dust baths. Then scoop out the poop with a large slotted shovel or rake. We only have four girls and clean it every week. We have about 50 sq ft run and a 30 sq ft coop. Next up is a mobile chicken tractor for my garden beds!

 

[karma23]

 

[blackdog043]

Can you post a picture of your coop, please. Are you talking about the actual coop or the run, that you have shavings in? You don't want bare ground, it will become a smelly mess of compacted poop.

I have an 8 x 12 lean to coop. I use deep bedding in my coop and deep litter in my run. I haven't cleaned out my coop yet, it's been about a year and doesn't smell, but I also use poop boards. I add fresh pine shavings as needed, about every couple months. My run hasn't been cleaned either, I just add to it. I do plan on taking some of the black gold from the run and spread it on my garden. I don't recommend sand in a coop or run, from what I have read on here.

 

[Theladiesandagentleman]

I have sand mixed with Sweet PDZ in both coop and run. It takes only a few minutes to clean each day with a slotted scooper. Stays nice and dry as well. Great for needed dust baths.

 

[karma23]

Sand and PDZ are a must for warm hot climates. It’s awesome. Not sure why sand wouldn’t be advised? As long as it’s coarse sand and not play sand. It’s a natural grit, a great way to offer dust baths for the girls and great for clay ridden soil (for gardening). Win win!

 

[Aquachick]

I use coarse sand in the run, PDZ on the poop boards and shavings on the floor of the coop. I scoop the poop boards and we add and rotate sand once a year. I have had no problems with my girls having the sand in their run.

 

[aart]

Sand and PDZ are a must for warm hot climates. It’s awesome. Not sure why sand wouldn’t be advised? As long as it’s coarse sand and not play sand. It’s a natural grit, a great way to offer dust baths for the girls and great for clay ridden soil (for gardening). Win win!

In a desert climate it can be great,
but where it's wet and humid it can turn into an anaerobic petri dish of nasty.

It's not grit(too small) ......and sand and clay can make 'concrete' in a garden bed.