Do we need to clean dry odorless chick poop?

Is the access to the brooder/coop under cover of the run?
Can't quite tell if run is covered, am assuming it is.


Also, we are not putting anything down in the run, it's just dirt and hemp bedding that falls out of the coop into the run despite my best efforts to keep it in.
Put a board(3-4" high) up across openings to keep bedding in coop,
they can be removable for cleaning.
Dirt and hemp bedding may not cut it for the run.
Does the run drain well?

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
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you’ve discovered chickens are messy! Yes, clean as you can, change bedding to suit your cleanliness level. We use shavings, toss around every few days to expose clean(er) sides and then remove when very poopy or smelly. Goes into compost. Entire coop cleaned/swept, new shavings go in. During the winter if it is a frozen mass, then new shavings go on top with the refresh occurring once a thaw happens.

raise up the feeders...once grown you aim to have the feeders at back height bc they are less inclined to swipe out the food. We purchased solid cinder blocks to prop up the feeder and waterer, with an additional cinderblock step on two or three sides bc the higher it is, the less debris in the feed/water. Solid cinderblock are preferable to regular cinder blocks with the two holes bc mice/rodents find those spaces quite nice being so close to yummy feed!

Good luck and enjoy your chicks!
Thank you! Good to know the back height rule.
 
Is the access to the brooder/coop under cover of the run?
Can't quite tell if run is covered, am assuming it is.



Put a board(3-4" high) up across openings to keep bedding in coop,
they can be removable for cleaning.
Dirt and hemp bedding may not cut it for the run.
Does the run drain well?

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 2180510
Thank you! The run is covered, same roof as the coop, which is a corrugated steel that overhangs about four inches on all sides. I added the boards to keep bedding in, which helped. I don't know that the run drains well.. hopefully it doesn't get wet in the first place with the roof. It's just dirt/ground. So far we cleaned it by spraying it down and tilling the pooped on surface dirt in, hoping it would decompose in the ground. I fixed my profile to show location. Thank you again!
 
So far we cleaned it by spraying it down and tilling the pooped on surface dirt in, hoping it would decompose in the ground.

The poop will decompose faster and with less odor if you use a bedding for the composting organisms to react it with.

Compost needs a mix of "greens", high nitrogen materials, and "browns", high carbon materials, to work properly. Chicken poop is high nitrogen and won't compost down by itself, it will just rot and stink. :)
 
I don't know that the run drains well.. hopefully it doesn't get wet in the first place with the roof. It's just dirt/ground. So far we cleaned it by spraying it down and tilling the pooped on surface dirt in, hoping it would decompose in the ground.
Water can flow in from surrounding areas.
Need to look at the big picture.

Chicken poop is high nitrogen and won't compost down by itself, it will just rot and stink. :)
Yes! Need carbon......wood chippings and small amounts of other dry plant matter.

Before I got enough wood chippings just a thin layer of straw helped with the stink almost immediately. Thin layer, less than an inch, too much will just get nasty.
 
The poop will decompose faster and with less odor if you use a bedding for the composting organisms to react it with.

Compost needs a mix of "greens", high nitrogen materials, and "browns", high carbon materials, to work properly. Chicken poop is high nitrogen and won't compost down by itself, it will just rot and stink. :)
Okay, very good to know :) I will go ahead and throw some hemp bedding down there too, maybe just reuse what we are ready to replace in the coop? Or should I go with fresh? Hemp is just what we have, but if it's not a good material to use, what would you recommend? Thanks!
 
Everyone has already put in some good input on the bedding. The only thing I would add is regarding your question about eating bugs and grass. Just make sure to have some type of chick grit available to them. .
Yes, they do have grit available, we offer it in a little dish and they also free range during day so they can find their own, our yard is mostly rocks :/
 
Water can flow in from surrounding areas.
Need to look at the big picture.

Yes! Need carbon......wood chippings and small amounts of other dry plant matter.

Before I got enough wood chippings just a thin layer of straw helped with the stink almost immediately. Thin layer, less than an inch, too much will just get nasty.
Okay, noted on the water getting into the run... Hm, not sure what we can do about that at this point. At least we don't get a lot of rain here in socal. Might be a pain at times though, because the run is at the bottom of a small downhill slope. There was nowhere else to put it though :) Noted on the thin layer of straw and wood chips- would hemp work or should I buy some wood chips now? Hemp is very absorbent, more so that wood shavings from what I've read. Thanks again for the info, this thread has been very helpful.
 

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