Do you change the shavings?

[zumzumfoxy]

I dunno about you guys, but my coop is pretty small (but roomy)- 3' x 4' by 7' tall, and since it's indoors, and these girls poop like CRAZY... it takes about 3 days for that nice bedding look to dissolve. Not to mention they kick it everywhere, which means I need to add another plank to the door so they can't kick it onto the carpet.

 

[MarinMama]

I turn mine to see if the bottom is getting too moist but so far, so good...it's been less than a month though. I figured I would have to clean out shavings every 3 months or so in the dry season.

 

[crazyhen]

I have poop boards under the roost and keep sand on them. They are easy to rake and scoop the poop from so not much waste there. I also use pine shavings on the floor and keep them stirred up. I like to clean the coop out about once a month on the floor chips.MY flooring is linoleum and it keeps the chips nice and dry. I am amazed tjhat the sand is so easy to keep up on the poop boards. Thats new for me this year. So little to throw into the compost ben now with the poo being sperated from the shavings. when I had a sand floor it was impossible to keep dry and stayed smelly all winter. i like this much better now. Gloria jean

 

[CarolJ]

I got my chickens on June 14th - and cleaned out the coop for the first time this past Sunday - June 26th. I hadn't noticed a smell, but it looked like it needed cleaning with the poop on top of the shavings. However, when I pulled out the two trays under the roosts, there really was very little there - they had done most of it near the door - so it was right where I look into the coop - so it was more noticeable to me. It was dry - no smell. I have seven 4-month old pullets and they spend all day in the run - just going up into the coop at night - they sleep all crowded together near the door rather than on the two roosts. So I think maybe once a month will be often enough for me to clean it from now on - maybe throw some new shavings on their sleeping area occasionally. Here's a pic of my coop/run - I hope to eventually build a coop & run that I can walk into. There's no way to reach parts of my coop and run. I figure when they start laying, they'll choose one of those inaccessible spots to do it. LOL! I bought some DE a couple days ago and plan to use it the next time I clean the coop.

Oh yes - all the shavings and poop that I cleaned out went into our compost pile.

 

[CatDaddyAlbert]

You can sprinkle either PDZ or Stall-Dry. I use both and they work really well.

 

[ProfGreyshade]

By law you need to clean your coop once a week in San Diego. I let hay in the run go but the shavings I clean about once a week.

 

[HappyChickenLover]

Yea I agree with having wood shaving and completely replacing them 4-6 months. You can easially scoop it out with a dust pan into a wheal barrel or garbage bag in a can.

Also keep in mind I have trios of bantams which are small birds and i do not keep water in the shaving so the shaving do not get wet.

 

[bryan99705]

Whatever you use for litter must be dry and mold free. Stall Dry with the chips helps or maybe consider sand.

 

[Rocky Top Chick]

I shouldn't admit this, but I have had 20 chickens for over two years and have not replaced the flooring at all. I have poop boards under the roost and I don't have a lot of waste on the floor. We have never had lice or mites either. (don't jinx me) I have vanilla air fresherners around the coop and it does not smell. Maybe I'm just lucky.

 

[amber.lyda]

I have a smaller coop and run (you can see my pictures in my profile) its 4x8 i think and the enclosed part is 4x4 with a hard floor. My enclosed night time part of the coop gets changed out once a month and the compst shavings and poo go into our compost pile. The lower part of the coop gets turned once a month and ill add some extra shavings if it needs it. I put hay down recently because the ground was soaked and its in a spot that doesnt dry fast. I also live in the suburbs and I have to be careful that my neighbors cant smell it or complain since I have a few more chickens than city codes say I can (2 chickens is not enough). So far they could care less...but I like to stay on their good side.