Help out a new chicken owner :)

[Ulmerfamily]

Hello everyone. Glad I stumbled uppin this page!

Needing advice on how to clean my coop. We currently have it under our deck to keep it shaded and to protect somewhat from rain. We currently live in Tennessee, it’s insanly hot here right now, so shade is a must.

He chickens (we have 3) have all scratched the grass away so it’s just now pretty much dirt. So how do I clean the area? Is there something aside from straw, shavings, etc, that we can put down to keep it cleaner in there? We have hw main coop, for our adult chicken, then and small built on coop, for our little ones. Any advice help would be oh so appreciative!!

 

[HappyDancin']

Hi, and welcome!

You'll get lots of helpful, friendly suggestions. If you can post a picture...that would help us give more detailed suggestions.

I like to use sand for my run and straw for my coop. Do you have to crawl under the deck to clean? You said it's dirt...with sand/dirt, you can just reach a rake in and "sweep" it out? That's how I clean mine...

 

[Ulmerfamily]

Yes, will post a picture in just a bit when the rain stops

My concern with the sand part is how can they forage for bugs if they don’t have any grass?

Probably sounds dumb. But new to chickens

 

[HappyDancin']

That's true, they can't...not in their enclosure at least. But... they'll still dig up the occasional grub or catch a fly here and there.

Do you have the ability to give them free range time outside of their enclosure? That's the best way to moderate the amount of damage they'll cause to your grass, and yet still let them enjoy free ranging chicken life.

I've found that once they tear up the grass...it doesn't come back (they won't let it - new grass buds are their favorite) so grass won't stand a chance!

 

[Chickassan]

If you can't let the chickens out free range you could build a cheap little tractor out of pvc pipe and plastic netting. That way you could put them of fresh grass every day and drag it into shade since the tractor is very light.

 

[Amelia and the girls]

Welcome to chicken keeping! It’s an enjoyable adventure. We use sand as well (in our run). It is the best alternative for us! Our girls love it and enjoy taking dust baths, scratching, and digging holes. Realistically there are not going to be many bugs in the run or coop. At least I wouldn’t think you’d want to intentionally attract them. I use food grade diatomaceous earth in my sand to help prevent mites etc. My chicks get to free range our yard a couple hours a day and have access to bugs at that time. I think the first question you want to Ask yourself is how do you want to clean your run and coop? Do you want to clean it regularly like you would a cat box? It provides health benefits and prevents flies. If so, sand is for you. Do you want to try deep litter method? Wonderful composting method that requires cleaning a couple times a year. If so, then straw would be the route. Hope that helps!

 

[Amelia and the girls]

If you can't let the chickens out free range you could build a cheap little tractor out of pvc pipe and plastic netting. That way you could put them of fresh grass every day and drag it into shade since the tractor is very light.

Here is a picture of our tractor we provide for our girls when they aren’t free ranging.

 

[lazy gardener]

The big issue with having the coop under your deck: What is your foundation like, do you have issues with termites, ants or any other insects that try to invade your home? Does the coop have a floor? Is it walk in style? Photo would be very helpful. I am extremely fond of deep litter in both coop and run. But for that to work well, you should have a walk in style coop and run. It is just a deep composting litter made up of a variety of materials, that over time composts into a wonderful black fragrant compost. Under the deck, you may have problems with moisture if the coop sits up close to your foundation.

 

[Chickassan]

Yes! Exactly! I don't use mine for the hens because I don't have to but it is excellent to give the littles grass time and a chance to meet the family.

 

[purslanegarden]

You could make one of those soldier fly larvae bins....the larvae crawl out of the container and fall onto the dirt or sand substrate.

Otherwise, I do recommend straw or something similar that will help absorb moisture and can also be cleaned out as needed, and a new layer put in, making the run area good as new.