How often do you clean out the coop?

[Sooz]

I have 10 chickens and 3 muscovys living in a converted shed which is 6feet by 6feet . I use a mixture of shavings and hay on the floor laid over some old news paper and I clean it all out every week. I was wondering if this was excessive as I read on the forum thatsome people only clen out the coop once a year!

 

[Marlinchaser]

Were suppose to clean the coop

 

[sonew123]

Quote:

today is my day!!!

 

[Scoop]

I've heard that once a year thing and it just doesn't make any sense! I go in and clean out poop every other day and add fresh straw when it gets low. Even Laura Ingalls Wilder said she cleaned her coop every day. I guess it all depends on how healthy you want your chickens.

 

[joebryant]

36 square feet is not large enough for 10 chickens and three ducks.
Cut it down to six fowl total. Use only a bag of woodchips generously sprinkled every other week with diatomaceous earth. Doing that you should only have to clean your coop every six months at the most. That's presuming that they have a run that's large than the coop and free range part of the day.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
I clean my coops twice a year. Believe me, if there were a smell or any indication of their not being sanitary, the coops, run, chickens, and ME would all be gone immediately. ... you'd just have to know my wife.
I do empty my poop bins about once a month though. They also get generous amounts of diatomaceous earth.

EDIT: Get rid of the straw.

 

[Malbri]

I only do it when it starts to get dusty and dirty. My chickens free range during the day so it take a few months

 

[nivtup]

It depends greatly on chicken density.

We have some living quarters that are 7' X 7' with 5 birds that rarely need attention, once every two weeks we clean under the roosts, and add a bit of shavings, it will probably go 6 months befroe a complete cleaning.

We have other living quarters 7' x 8' that we have been using as a grow out pen that has too many birds in it, and requires attention every two weeks or so.

 

[rigagirl]

I made a deal with my husband, i will clean out coop every week in winter as long as its nice enough for them to go out and he can do it in the summer.

. he fell for it! smells worse when its wet out. think he does it every 2-3 weeks.

 

[valmom]

Our coop is 10x12 and we have 6 full size hens and a bantam roo. I clean it every day- really easy. I use Woody Pet sawdust and sift with a cat litter scoop every day. In the winter when we have hay bales in there to make it warmer, the hay gets all over and it is much harder to clean.

I know some people like the deep litter method (add clean shavings/hay over the soiled bedding to create heat, especially in the winter) but I could not face the ultimate clean out in the spring.