Finally...easier cleaning of the chicken house

[Unsworth]

I wish I would have done this years ago. I got this idea to put a shelf underneath the main roost and put plastic trays lined with paper. It catches nearly all the poop and makes cleaning the coop so much easier. I like sand on the floor of my chicken house and now it mostly stays there so I do not have to replace sand hardly at all. The floor area stays so much cleaner.

 

[Callender Girl]

I use poop shelves, but lining them with plastic and paper surely takes it step further. Do your chickens peck at the paper? I think most of my little monsters would destroy things just to spite me.

 

[Acre4Me]

Nice.

some line the shelf with old feed bags. Scrape and continue to use, or replace as needed. One person in cold climate indicates frozen poop pops right off the feed bags!

 

[Unsworth]

I use poop shelves, but lining them with plastic and paper surely takes it step further. Do your chickens peck at the paper? I think most of my little monsters would destroy things just to spite me.

The paper starts out okay but eventually they can mess it up. I don't think they eat it. They have not tried to nest in the boxes. It gets rather "unattractive" in a short while since they dump in it each night. I hammered U nails partially into the studs just above the boxes to keep them from flipping the boxes off the shelf if they jump on the edges.

 

[Unsworth]

Nice.

some line the shelf with old feed bags. Scrape and continue to use, or replace as needed. One person in cold climate indicates frozen poop pops right off the feed bags!

It is really cold in winter here. I am interested to see how winter works. I like paper because I can take the paper and the manure and dump it in a pile and eventually use it for the garden.

 

[aart]

That roost is way high above the poop catchers!
Makes me wonder if all the poops hit the 'target'.

 

[Chicalina]

was going to say the same. That roost bar is crazy high! You risk bumblefoot infections and possible leg injuries if they are jumping down from that high everyday. Can you lower it to the height of the shelf at the back above the plastic boxes?

 

[Unsworth]

That roost is way high above the poop catchers!
Makes me wonder if all the poops hit the 'target'.

For the most part it catches it all.

 

[Unsworth]

was going to say the same. That roost bar is crazy high! You risk bumblefoot infections and possible leg injuries if they are jumping down from that high everyday. Can you lower it to the height of the shelf at the back above the plastic boxes?

I have never dealt with bumblefoot infections. Never had them in all the years I have had chickens. Lowering the roost might be a good idea though. I certainly don't want bumblefoot.

 

[Jeanw]

I put inexpensive boot trays under the roost bar and take them out to clean
every few days.