Deep Cleaning Coop-Advice Please

[ADozenGirlz]

Ok, I KNOW it's still winter, but I'm wistfully looking foward to warmer weather and doing the semi-annual deep-cleaning of our coop. We've only had our chickens for five months, so I haven't had to do it yet and I'd like some specific advice as to how and which products to use to scrub out the coop. I'm concerned about cleaning products washing away into the attached run, is that a valid concern?
Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

 

[patandchickens]

IMHO the best product, by far, is elbow grease, applied as needed.

Honestly, unless you have had some particular disease problem that requires disinfecting from, I see no point in using Complicated Commercial Cleaning Products. Unnecessary, no actual benefit, and just an extra expense *you* don't need and pollution burden the *world* doesn't need.

If you are really, really a neatnik and there is a bit of caked-on poo that mere scrubbing doesn't remove, for painted surfaces I would suggest a little bit of dish detergent in hot water, and for unpainted surfaces I would suggest sandpaper.

Seriously

Good luck, have fun,

Pat, whose "let's think about spring now" fantasies run more towards gardening and construction than to cleaning

 

[gsim]

Pat is right. Not to worry even if you do use some household products.

All I will do is remove old litter, hose down floor and linoleum apron, scrape any mashed down poop,

put down some sevin and DE, put in new litter, wash windows, change out litter in nests, scrape walkboards and walkway in front of nests,

and that is it for another year. My 24" wide poop plank of OSB and linoleum saves me tons of work by doing simple daily scraping.

That way the litter does not have to be changed except annually. Regular addition/topping of litter is more than good enough for a whole year in my experience, and my coop with 24 chooks is not stinky.

 

[Scoop]

I'll probably just scrape, scrape, scrape, and then wipe the roosts and nesting boxes with a weak bleach solution that I mix myself.

 

[LynneP]

...and if you're in a situation where it's cold and you wanted to remove the bedding and scrape down but avoid water, then add a stall product like Stable Boy, Stall Dri or Stall PDZ, you could treat the floor dry, and put fresh bedding in. Food-grade DE is also appropriate in small amounts, though harder to find. 4 cups is about right for bedding going into a 10 x 10 floor space.

 

[2txmedics]

Scrub it with elbow grease, water and DE...works awesome, then afterwards...make a pasty mash of DE with the water, and paint it onto the walls from the floor up, helps with parasits...lice/mites...etc...I also put apple cider vinegar in there water containers, keeps algae away....in there feed I also put some DE helps with internal parasites...

I also give it to my dogs, 1 teasp...in there food daily....and dust them with it dry....for fleas, works wonders!!!! I put it in there food to help with any worms....can sprinkle in the house, its that safe. FOOD GRADE kind....

good luck...