how often do i need to clean??

[okmarge]

Me too! I am new to this and I have a indoor area 4X8 that is where they roost and stay at night and with nesting boxes. They have access to the outside, completely fenced yard( top too) as I have many hawks in this area. So I call the indoor space the coop and the fenced yard just that. I am learning by experience on how best to clean all this.
Marge

 

[flrn]

     I'm going to disagree with some things mentioned. I have an 8x16 coop with 19 hens and 1 rooster. 2 ducks share that space also.
First off, I have a dirt floor and I use straw (hay is for horses) for bedding. I wouldn't recomend the deep litter method of piling on more bedding instead of cleaning it out as needed. I remove and refresh with new straw about every 3 to 4 weeks. 2 bales covers that space nicely. Best to add some diatomaceous earth for mites and lice along with it. The deep litter method can be a real mess when it comes time to finally clean it out especially if you have a dirt floor like I do. Its a good alternative in the winter but sooner or later you have to clean it out.
Secondly, what ever is under your roosting boards is going to get full of chicken poop. You will be surprized what they can excrete during the night hours! I get a 2 1/2 gallon bucket full every 2 or 3 days. Try putting a scrape board underneath to catch the droppings.
Thirdly, after every winter, the dander build up inside the coop on the walls, ceiling, crevices, and cob webs will be all over everything! No way of explaining it and its a remember I told you so kind of thing. If you are using heat or light bulbs, clean them frequently because of this. This dander and cobweb buildup is a good fire starter!
Last but not least, birds dig holes to dust bath in to remove mites and lice. A way of self cleanliness. You might want to get a big clay pot to put in the coop area filled with sand and once again, diatomaceous earth.
  Sooo! In answer to your posted question on how often do I need to clean? Its an ongoing process that never stops!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[flrn]

Thank you very much! I think I agree with you about the deep litter method, I cannot believe it won't breed bugs or diseases. Besides who wants to sleep on a compost pile. Also I've been doing some reading and it does state cannot use hay because it can cause the girls to get bound up.

 

[graciesmum]

I don't like the idea of deep litter method, I use sand on the floor and straw in the nest boxes

 

[newburt]

I cant speak either way on the deep litter method but doesnt compost go through a heat during the cycle where it is breaking down? I have never actually composted so im not saying this as a fact but more as a question. I definately wouldnt want to add any extra heat to my coop in the summer. Seems as if the deep litter method is just using the chickens to stir compost, and the amount of nitrogen that is in the chicken litter seems like it would be harmful after some summer heat.

 

[wildrooster1]

I have a big coop that has the hens for eggs,it has 11 in it and i have a huge pen that is divided into 3 runs.1st run has Americauna roo and hen and a Auricuana hen,then the next pen has my hens that hatched babys,the final pen has the hatching that have graduated to a pen,,i have 18 in that one!

 

[featherweightmn]

It seems to me that we all use what works best for us given the various situations. My original response was not looking for agreement or disagreement -but moreover the spirit of what I meant -was do what best works for you. For me -I clean my coop daily, and will continue to do so.

 

[AussieHens96]

I am confused on what is called a coop. I have an indoor area of a shed that is 4x8 and an attached fenced yard that is 10x18. I use pine shavings in the indoor coop and sweep it out to the yard every week or so. The yard is mostly dirt. The chickens are not out of the yard. I have too many hawks in this area.

using 6 to 12 inches of pine shavings indoor is not possible. In the outdoor yard it is possible. So do I need to clean out the outdoor yard every six months or so? And can I use this for composting?
Marge

We have a similiar issue with Hawks but our girls are let out anyway. Generally, we put their dirty bedding in the compost begin to let it degrade down first and then throw it on the garden. Chicken poo also acts as amazing fertilizer for plants and your garden. Just rake it in.

 

[Michael Apple]

Researchers realized during WW2 that labor shortages left farmers in need of hands. They found that built up litter wasn't causing all the problems as previously thought. This gave way to the popular belief that built up litter, or what the popular coined term of "deep litter method" used today, was beneficial. The dietary effect of built up litter is caused by Vitamin B-12 that builds up in the litter. This is a side effect of bacterial action. Meat proteins have plenty of B-12 whereas plant proteins don't. In 1950, when B-12 was recognized, feed mills began adding it to poultry rations. They still do to this day, which is why built up litter, or "deep litter method" serves no purpose. One could say anti-coccidial properties might develop after 6 months when microorganisms develop that prey on coccidia. This may be true, but inconsistent since it invites all sorts of other problems to plague chickens. Namely mites, lice, perfect atmosphere for the ovation of parasitic worm eggs, darkling beetles which are a vector for tapeworms, ammonia, etc. Not worth the labor saving foundation of reasoning in my opinion. Raising chickens and keeping them healthy is not for the lazy, nor the stingy.

If one wants a compost pile, keep it out of the coop and at the opposite end of the pasture with a tarp to break it down. If you think spreading DE will right the wrong of using compost on the floor of your coop, you will soon realize all the scratching they do causes DE particles to be airborne and bad for the chicken's respiratory system.

 

[AussieHens96]

Researchers realized during WW2 that labor shortages left farmers in need of hands. They found that built up litter wasn't causing all the problems as previously thought. This gave way to the popular belief that built up litter, or what the popular coined term of "deep litter method" used today, was beneficial. The dietary effect of built up litter is caused by Vitamin B-12 that builds up in the litter. This is a side effect of bacterial action. Meat proteins have plenty of B-12 whereas plant proteins don't. In 1950, when B-12 was recognized, feed mills began adding it to poultry rations. They still do to this day, which is why built up litter, or "deep litter method" serves no purpose. One could say anti-coccidial properties might develop after 6 months when microorganisms develop that prey on coccidia. This may be true, but inconsistent since it invites all sorts of other problems to plague chickens. Namely mites, lice, perfect atmosphere for the ovation of parasitic worm eggs, darkling beetles which are a vector for tapeworms, ammonia, etc. Not worth the labor saving foundation of reasoning in my opinion. Raising chickens and keeping them healthy is not for the lazy, nor the stingy.

If one wants a compost pile, keep it out of the coop and at the opposite end of the pasture with a tarp to break it down. If you think spreading DE will right the wrong of using compost on the floor of your coop, you will soon realize all the scratching they do causes DE particles to be airborne and bad for the chicken's respiratory system.

Sounds reasonable. We have a big Compost bin for all of the bedding, poo and any left over veg to rot down - great for the fruit tree its under and the chooks have a happy grassy base to their coop, so long as we let them out and move the coop around.