How often do you clean your coop??

[Serrin]

This was mentioned in another thread and it got me to thinking.....How often do y'all clean your coop? Me? I'm completely nuts, and maybe even a little OCD about our coop being kept clean.

The coop is about 8 foot by 8 foot with standing head room and then some inside. The girls have about a 10 foot by 10 foot screened in run for those times that they need to be closed up. (recent hawk sightings, etc.) But, usually, they're all outside and enjoying the life of free range birds. Currently the flock numbers 12 all told.

In the summer months, since the girls spend so much time outside, I feel that I can get away with every four to six weeks between cleaning. In the winter, that gets chopped down to about every two to three weeks since winters are very cold here in the Inland Northwest and the girls spend so much time inside.

The husband thinks I've completely lost it, as I also clean up the droppings from the night time every morning before I feed them. I put it in a bucket and save it for the garden. Funny though, I haven't heard him complain about how well the gardens are doing this year!

So, what say you all? Am I OCD? Am I a bit over the top when it comes to keeping the coop clean? Or are you a bit like me and just want your little feathered friends to have someplace nice and warn and dry and clean to go to bed in at night??

 

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

I clean the coop at least 2 or 3 times a month during the summer and 1 or 2 times a month in the winter.

 

[Renee]

I clean mine every day.

 

[jnkir7]

i clean mine every day:/

 

[Serrin]

Really?!? Honestly? Or are you pulling my leg? Because the husband is convinced I've lost my mind.

A thorough, top to bottom, clear out the dirty shavings, sweep it all out, dust it all off, and put in new shavings kind of cleaning? I'd go broke inside of a week if I did all of THAT!

Not to mention I think I'd die of exhaustion and the husband would have to make a reservation for me at the nearest asylum!

Seriously though: How often do you perform a complete top to bottom cleaning of your coop? I really am curious.

 

[melissa508]

When i used to have coops with runs I used shavings, theyre so much nicer & seem to keep it cleaner looking- back then i raked them out once a week.

Now that this is my coop

my cleaning routine is different. Some of the rooms have dirt floors, some have wood- i wish they were all dirt, becuase when the hay is decomposing it rots the floors.

So in the rooms that have shavings (wood floors) i rake/shovel them out about every 2 weeks, weekly in the baby pen becuase ducks & water= a stinky mess.

In the rooms with dirt floors, I rake them out monthly & when im lucky the floors look like bright green carpet becuase we have 39 acres & dh's uncle likes to come out & use his sithe & cut me a ton of fresh green grasses.The fresh greens make the barn smell so nice-

I have never been able to try the deep litter method, but I have seen how it can work, when i have the bedding piled in the wheel barrel, it gets so warm- so next month im going to just keep adding & only remove the areas below the perches. I ordered 50 bales of hay, I think they should get us through the winter.

I am OCD about how my barn looks, people have said its cleaner than alot of peoples houses lol

 

[Bluemoon420]

My building is similar to yours. We have dirt floors.( we added wire along the bottom to deter anything from digging in) I do use the deep litter method. I rake it out once a month in the really dirty areas. When it gets totally raked out before winter, I am going to add a layer of sand before I put the pine shavings in. The soil is clay, and tends to hold moisture. My thinking is the layer of sand will help with the moisture.
We have cob webs up in the ceiling rafters but I leave those be. Spiders eat bugs, and it seems to be keeping any wasps/hornets away. ( I am deathly allergic) So, it may not be totally neat and tidy, but it works. The only thing I've learned so far that needs amending with ours is the soil.
That will be fixed before winter

Bluemoon

 

[Renee]

Yes, really honestly...

BUT I only have two chickens.

I don't use shavings at all. I use a dish drainer tray for a droppings tray under the roost. I use sand in the run and scoop it with a kitty litter scooper every morning when I take out the droppings tray. I have a little squirt bottle with disinfectant that I spray down the floor and roost with and I use a paper towel to wipe it down. I live in a suburb and don't want flies or smells to get to the neighbors. (I also sit in the run and cuddle the chickens.)

I think if you have more than three or four chickens it gets increasingly difficult to clean the coop every day. If I had six chickens I would not have this routine, that's for sure.

Renee

 

[Chooksaurus]

12 chickens only...bi-weekly good cleanings.

Add 5 ducks...twice a week and near-daily spot removal of wet/dirty areas.

Subtract 5 ducks...back to bi-weekly!

 

[cmom]

I do a mini clean daily. I do a deep cleaning a couple times a year or as needed.