How do I clean up all the frozen poop?

[NJchixs]

I clean my coops daily by using a big metal dust pan to scape all the poop together, then scooping it out. The more formed poop still comes up relatively easy, but the softer, patty shaped ones are now frozen mounds on the coop floor (not to mention the run). A day or two isn't bad but five days now and it's getting rocky in there, if you know what I mean. This is my first winter with them and I'm sure most of you will say don't worry, but I feel like I'm not keeping it clean now. Silly probably. So what do you do when life gives you little frozen mountains in your coop?

 

[cmknight]

You wait till it warms up or use a shovel.

 

[AVintageLife]

Poop boards with PDZ under the roost = easy clean up and less poop on the coop floor. In my 8 X 12 hoop run, I have a bale of hay that I've let the flock break up over time and they've spread it around quite nicely. I'll be adding another bale to get them through the rest of the winter and then muck it all out in the spring. I only have a flock of seven so it's manageable.

 

[lorain's fids]

I have 5 chickens, so it's not to much trouble to keep up with the poop. I keep a box of disposable gloves in the coop and whenever I'm out there I just pick up the poop .

 

[NJchixs]

I know waiting till it warms up is the logical, but I use sweet pdz on the floor and just scoop and sift every day. I know that may sound like a lot of work to some, but being a SAHM with 3 kids it gives me a place to hide for a bit every day, lol. I was thinking of the hay on the bottom (like deep litter) but someone once told me it would make too much moisture in the coop. I have a bigger coop being built now and will have to think about poop boards. I sent my husband to pick up two bales on his way home tonight. I will put some in the run (they do free range a good part) and the rest is for the 12wk olds I have separated in a sheltered dog run. Thanks for the suggestions all.

 

[lorain's fids]

I know waiting till it warms up is the logical, but I use sweet pdz on the floor and just scoop and sift every day. I know that may sound like a lot of work to some, but being a SAHM with 3 kids it gives me a place to hide for a bit every day, lol. I was thinking of the hay on the bottom (like deep litter) but someone once told me it would make too much moisture in the coop. I have a bigger coop being built now and will have to think about poop boards. I sent my husband to pick up two bales on his way home tonight. I will put some in the run (they do free range a good part) and the rest is for the 12wk olds I have separated in a sheltered dog run. Thanks for the suggestions all.

Where do you get your hay from? I had sent my husband to get some hay on his way home tonight also. I generally get it from Gravitts over by TSC. There hay is always nice, but it is a little out of the way-I live in Brick.

 

[NJchixs]

Where do you get your hay from? I had sent my husband to get some hay on his way home tonight also.  I generally get it from Gravitts over by TSC. There hay is always nice, but it is a little out of the way-I live in Brick.

I've gotten it on 537 Clayton farm in freehold in the past ad it was more like straw. This time he picked some up in millstone and the ad said hay/orchard grass. I found this one on Craigslist. 6.50 a bale. I haven't looked at it yet since he came home after dark.