how aften do you clean your coop

[fowler_chick]

just wondering how often do you clean out your coop? what do you do to clean it out, and what do you do with the "coop poop"?.

my husband think's i'm ocd about the chickens.

on saturdays i spend the after noon cleaning my coop out by sweeping the shaving's out first, then scrapping the dried poop from the floor. power washing the floor if needed.

power washing or soaking all feeders or waters.

then after boxing the "coop poop" up i rake out the run, all take about a hour to do.

i do have a man who comes to pick up my "coop poop" and calf manure once a week, for how many boxes of manure and coop poop i give him i get back in fruits and veggies he can't sell....great deal for my pig's and chckens!!!! he will throw in apples for my horses too!.

so i'm just wondering if any one else is so adimit about cleaning out there coops.

 

[sonew123]

Your normal!! Sat's I clean at out all cages-my chickens all free range 3-12 hours a day now depending on if its a weekend or not. But every sat I clean out all poo trays-spray them down-refill with DE and wood shaving's-I replace the hay in the cages 2-3 times a week too. the brooders get cleaned out and refilled the same way once a week-the runs are pretty clean since they free range all day-the nesting boxes cleaned and refilled once a week or more if needed-I have some that poo in there-terds!... I clean out all feeders once a week ...bleach EVERYTHING ... cages and all once a month. So no,, tell your DH you are normal and a very caring pet owner!

 

[thewarriorchild]

I am SO not normal then.... I also would not have chickens with that much cleaning!!

 

[BlackBart]

Wow when I die and get reincarnated I want to come back as one of your chickens!

In the summer I clean it once a week, more if needed and the nest boxes too. I put in fresh hay for the nest boxes and wood shavings for the floor.
In the winter when they stay indoors more, I clean it twice or three times a week. I rake the coop area when I clean them out but mine free range so most of their poop is in the horse manure pile anyway. Chicken poop goes in the manure pile with a sprinkling of Ag lime over it.
I broom down the cobwebs when needed and wash the windows when needed. I put up sticky traps to catch any flies.

I clean the waterer's once a week and check the water and food everyday.

I think it is important to keep them as clean as possible. I have seen some chicken coops, that in my opinion, are disgraceful and the stink and layers of poop would knock you off a gut cart.
Those poor chickens.

 

[thewarriorchild]

"gut cart."

what is that?

 

[Nhbluebird]

I clean the entire coop once a week including sweeping cobwebs, washing windows, and scrubing roosting rails. No nest boxes to clean yet that will be coming in the next two weeks. Mine are 17 wks. Those will be cleaned weekly as well. Run is raked weekly, right now they've been free ranging most afternoons so run is not bad.

My brother-in-law and sister think I'm crazy. So does my mother (she lives with me). Mother was raised on a farm and thinks that I am very picky with my flock. My babies have been very healthy and I am thankful for that. As for the brother-in-law I answer; you like clean sheets don't you? so do my babies. He laughs and shakes his head.

 

[bja105]

I have had my 11 for a month now, and haven't cleaned yet. Don't plan on it until spring. I add more shavings every few days, and throw in some weeds from the garden. It has never had an odor.

I was taught that if you smell ammonia, add more carbon.

In spring, the cleaning will start next years compost pile.

 

[chicky gal1]

We do the deep litter method here so i add pine shavings, lime, and DE every 2 weeks and every 4-6 weeks I completely take out the shavings, clean the floors (linolium) and roosts and windows.

I learned a great trick for the feeders and waterers that might be helpful... I have extras of both and one of those 18 gallon storage containers. I fill the storage container with water and bleach. everyday i put the plastic food and waters in the solution and soak till the following day. then restart the process again. the storage container solution gets switched out weekly. no scrubbing those contaniers, just a quick rinse and very sterile for the chicks!

 

[Chickenmaven]

We have a large coop with about 50 chickens. I've been doing chickens for a couple years so I am over my "immaculate brooder" stage. We do deep litter, so we shovel out a couple wheelbarrows of *ick* every other week & spread out a couple packages of pine shavings. Sweet PDZ helps keep it all dry & nice.

Frankly, the day I have it all cleaned out & powerwashed will be the day I put away my coop boots for good.

 

[Nhbluebird]

As a child I remember the farmer down the road did the deep litter method which I plan on using this winter. I remember he showed me his chicken coop and I thought there is something wrong in the coop as I had trouble breathing. I now know what it was he didn't have any ventilation, but it was warm in that coop. For the summer I will clean every week, come cooler weather I will do the deep litter method for the winter. It can get cold here and I know I have enough ventilation to deep litter for the winter so my flock will be comfortable. Am also ready to winterize part of the run for them as well.