how often do you clean out the coop?

[top of the hill]

Hi all!
Just curious to know how often you clean out your coops, change the litter or rake the litter, wash the walls the nests etc. Do you use bleach or Vinegar? Soap? My husband and I have been debating this for a few weeks and just want to get an overall feel for what the BYC community does.
Thanks!

 

[nickie]

I have yet to clean it out. They have been in it for a month and I just added more pine chips, but I do rake it almost every day. The chickens scratch and dust inside if its too warm out so even if I don't get the chance to rake it they mix it up a bit.

 

[stubbornhill]

I clean my coop every week for the most part. As I go in daily, if I see a need to clean something I do. A deep cleaning, scrubbing walls etc, once a year. Water and bleach solution.

 

[mdbokc]

Since I have poop boards, they and the roosts are scrapped each day...takes about 2 minutes. The shavings on the floor of the coop are replaced once a year. The shavings in the nests are changed twice a year. The walls have never been washed. Keep 12 - 25 chickens at a time.

No fly problems or bad bug infestations have occurred. Been at this for a few years FWIW.

 

[starforever61]

i am going to get poop boards cuz that makes life MUCH easier. typically i clean out my coop once a month and put in fresh shavings, granted that it's summer and they are outside all day. in the winter the poop freezes so i try to get rid of that whenever i see a big pile or a pile that i can easily grab and chuck into the woods. i have yet to wash with a bleach and water solution.

 

[cindylo]

I change the litter in the nesting boxes slightly more than once per month, change the litter inside the coop weekly because it's a small space, and clean the run weekly. The run is a 10 X 10 dog run with a tarp roof that is going to be replaced with a more substantial roof. I'm also assembling another small coop because the newest three don't mingle peacefully with the 3 RIR's at bedtime. The deep cleaning with bleach water and a dusting with sevin powder takes place every other month.

 

[nickie]

I was under the impression that deep litter methods only require changing the bedding once or twice a year, or is everyone just using shavings as floor cover?

 

[ceeceeholt]

We're using the deep method as well. I add a little DE once a week and rake the pine chips daily. I pick up anything I see, we do not have fly problems inside the coop. We haven't cleaned the run yet, but it is 30 feet long by 8 feet wide. Lots of grass and fun dust piles to play in! My "ladies" seem pretty happy besides the fact that it is 98 out today and yesterday and oh yeah, again tomorrow

 

[Patricia Jane]

I general do housekeeping, clean poop boards every other day and scrape the roosts. Fluff up shavings and add some to the floor and clean the nesting boxes once a month. Thorough cleaning once a year. But I have never scrubbed the walls inside the coop but sweep it down. I do however use bleach and water for the floor. I have linoleum layed down for easy cleaning. Never had a problem with bugs of any sort. My girls are only in the coop to sleep and lay their eggs. They enjoy being outside all year round. I clean their run once a month, raking and laying a thin layer of shavings (except in winter, just rake no shavings). I also use DE only when I have no babies inside the coop.

 

[leadwolf1]

I clean the coop top to bottom with a bleach, dawn and water solution every two weeks. I wanted to try the deep litter method but I just can't bring myself to leave that poop in there