How often do you clean your coop?

[DawnSuiter]

Quote:
i'm sorry for being such a dum newbie, but could you please elaborate? where do you use the construction sand? and where do you use the kitty litter?

when you say you scoop it almost daily, do you mean you remove all the sand and the litter? or just the litter? or just the areas of the litter where most of the poo is?

I think bodyflight was saying that they put sand in the coop and or run, and just scoop the poop and wet stuff out with the kind of scoop you'd use for a litter box. Correct me if I'm wrong.

That was correct yes. A kitty litter scooper to run through the sand everyday and scoop the poops. Fast & easy

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

Ours hardly ever poop in the hen house I can't remember when the last time I cleaned it. If it needs cleaning it is just a little on top of the shavings, I use DE and PDZ on occasion.

 

[Chickenaddict]

I have a little 4 ft by 6 ft coop that houses 10 bantams. In the summer i use play sand and DE on the floor in the coop and scoop it daily, they free range so there isn't a whole lot of poo in there to scoop up but its soo much easier then fishing for droppings in pine shavings. In the winter i use the deep litter method, every week i scoop off the top layer or so and add more pine shavings, straw and DE. I gut it out, disinfect and sanatize it 3 times a year. once in the spring, once mid summer, and again right before winter hits full force. Kind of difficult to do the deep cleaning when there is 3 ft of snow or more and subzero temps. They never spend time in their run in the summer but in the winter months they are in lockdown. Their run is a 10 ft by 15 ft dog kennel attatched to the coop and covered in tarps to help keep drafts out. I drag the coop and kennel up to our patio for winter and place it up against the house so it adds another windbreak and use straw on the floor of the run about 6 to 8 inches deep sometimes more. come spring i take all that straw and till it into the garden beds (very sandy soil here).

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I have an 8X8 coop and I have not cleaned mine yet and my chickens have been out there since June. The only thing I do is every week shovel out the roost area (NOTE TO SELF...before next spring make a roosting board!) They really don't poo much around the coops inside except for under the roost so it's really not that smelly if your removing the roost poo every other day or every week...unless you have a roost board than I would remove it each morning.

In the other areas I just stir it around with a large stick and add more pine shavings every two weeks (about 1/4 to 1/2 bag of a 3 cubic foot bag) This next June I will rake it all out throw it in the compost pile and start fresh from there. I go right in the coop and the smell is not bad at all. The only time it smells is in the morning when they get done pooing all night long LOL By the afternoon there is very little smell. I have 12 chickens in there now but have had more in there.

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
#1 . pine shavings are cheaper if bought at feedstore rather than Walmart .

I pay 5.50 for like a compacted PACK of shavings ( probably 40 lbs. or more )

2nd. I only put water and feed in their run area to avoid water being spilled . Never in the coop

because they only enter the coop to lay( during the day ) and roost to sleep .. they generally DO NOT eat or drink during the night

 

[vfem]

Quote:
#1 . pine shavings are cheaper is bought at feedstore rather than Walmart .

I pay 5.50 for like a compacted PACK of shavings ( probably 40 lbs. or more )

2nd. I only put waterand feed in their run area to avoid water being spilled .

because they only enter the coop to lay( during the day ) and roost to sleep .. they generally DO NOT eat or drink during the night

My feed store locally only have hay and no pine shavings... walmart is just closer and its only like $4.98 there for a huge compacted bag anyways. Also, I have a broody hen who won't come in the run so the water and food at inside so she has quick and easy access while she's setting.

 

[Nugget]

Advice taken! I put in a droppings board today. They're scared of it and are sleeping on the floor tonight. I'm sure they'll be over it by tomorrow
Silly things

 

[cluckychick]

Since March I have cleaned out the coop totally only 1 time. That was just to give them clean bedding to bed in as the cold weather sets in. I go in about everyother day and scoop up any poopy clumps I may find.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
Ditto

 

[buckeye lady]

Poop patrol every weekend. I use a snow scraper with a brush and I toss poo in garden or compost pile.
Change the hay in nests monthly and as needed
Rinse waterer weekly, wash with bleach water monthly.
I use pine shavings and deep litter method. I fluff litter every weekend and add some if needed, the girls fluff it every day when I toss them their cup of scratch.
I remove any wet litter under the waterer daily. Every weekend I scape litter away from under the water and remove any that is wet and I dry the floor with a fan for a few hours. The floor of coop is concrete.