how often do i need to clean??

[lauranickerson]

For the question on types of wood- cedar in a closed space without good ventilation sometimes causes breathing problems and due to sap I wouldn't use fresh pine shavings/sawdust. We cut our own firewood so we just collect the sawdust from using the chainsaw but let it dry out before storing or using. Throw a piece of rotten log into your run, flip it every few days or once a week. Chickens love the bugs!

So skip the hardwoods then and just go with pine? I can maybe let the shavings 'cure' and dry before I put them in there. Also, I can let the branches dry out before I put them through the chipper. That might just be easier. Thinking about making a sealed chest outside the coop or maybe a big barrel that will hold the dried shavings.

That or maybe read more on sand...

 

[graciesmum]

I have a 5ft by 7ft shed, I put sand on the floor and a mix of straw and hay in the nest boxes, I scoop the poop everyday but I change the bedding about once a fortnight, my 5 girls free range all day and nature takes care of there garden lol

 

[Cassie3452]

I just have 3 chickens ( new to this and loving it) - we have 3 nest boxes and I use pine shavings deep in those...I have leftover hay from horses that I keep on flooring inside the coop and clean out just the pooped stuff and refluff the shavings once a week on the weekend...water gets replaced most often as mine drink alot ...very easy to keep and they are so friendly...love all the wonderful brown eggs I am getting and eating!

 

[ourcoop62108]

If you use pine shaving on the ground do you also use them in your nexting boxes? Just wondering if that confuses them or not. Starting to think sand sounds like a good idea. Any ideas as to the cost?

 

[MarcoPollo]

I have a few coops. I've had 20 birds in my 8'x10' coop and give it a daily pick up under the roosts every morning after I let the birds out. I use pine shavings also. If I were to leave these shavings in there, adding more up until cleaning once a year, it would be a dusty environment with mites. I do a cleaning once every three months, removing all old shavings from floor and nests, shop vac the whole coop, spray Oxine disinfectant, let dry, then spray a good coat of Gardstar or Ravap over roosts, nests, walls, floor, cracks, and crevices. After it dries and new shavings are added, the birds are allowed back in the coop. Since I started this program years ago, I never have mite or louse infestations or coughing birds.

I do the same thing. Morning roost poop scoop and every few months, a full clean out. I really enjoy getting the shop vac out to clean up any spider webs, wasp nests and the occasional roach or two

. I use poultry dust now, instead of the sprays. I tried using just DE, but there were still mites all over the coop, and it got really bad at one point.

 

[chicksandbunnys]

Do you use this is your run our your coop/shed thing?

 

[Alden Chickens]

Since we have an ample supply of straw from our oat and wheat crops I use that for bedding. We rake it out every couple of weeks and just throw a wad in. The girls (4) spread it out in their entire pen (20'x8') in about half an nour. Every month or so we haul everything out, spray it down with Sevin, put a very light layer of cedar shavings and then add another big wad of straw. I have to do it less in the warmer weather when they spend more time outside.

 

[flrn]

I currently have 6 small hens and have a chicken coop with small run. I plan to enlarge the run but would like recommendations on how to keep the run clean.

 

[KayleighW]

Looks like a lot of you guys are using sand. I've never heard of or seen that before, but it sounds good to me. I'd like to try it. Can anybody give me some pros/cons to using sand? I would really appreciate it!

 

[cluckcluckluke]

When using sand, what kind do I get? Can I just go to my local beach.lol?