How often do you flip/ get new bedding?

[Stargazer04]

How often do you flip/ get new bedding for a chicken coop? I do it almost ever 2 weeks or less. I think it might be alot but the ammount of fecal matter that builds it is very large! I bought another chicken for them hoping it will help and it has alittle.

 

[aart]

I think it might be alot but the ammount of fecal matter that builds it is very large! I bought another chicken for them hoping it will help and it has alittle.

How will adding another bird help with too much fecal matter?

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.

-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.

-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.

-Runs have semi-deep litter, never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.

-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 5 years.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I change the bedding in the coop twice a year. I clean out under the roosts daily.

 

[jreardon1918]

4x8coop. With pop boards filled with PDZ. Clean out twice per year. But really I think that is more than needed. There is very little poop on the coop floor. I wonder if folks that feed and water in the coop experience more traffic and poop in the coop.. anyway, I may skip the spring cleaning. We will see.

Edit... I use pine shavings as bedding. The way I scoop the poops does spill some PDZ in the shavings. That might keep them drier and less/non smelly.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

I have been thinking that a poop board on the wider side would offer more protection for the floor. But probably that depends on the size of the hens.

I read here constantly to get ideas for my upcoming coop build!

 

[Peppercorngal]

I have 28 chickens roosting nightly in a 10 x 8 coop (shed). I have to change out the floor wood chips every two weeks. Once a week I "turn it over". If it starts to smell I do it sooner. The nesting boxes stay clean, they only lay eggs in them and I only add straw to them, never remove it. They love to mess with the straw in the boxes and knock it onto the floor! I scrape the poop off of the top of the nesting boxes, and roosts daily. My eggs are very clean. I sell them and do not wash them, so for me a clean coop is very important. I use wood chips on the floor and rice straw in the nest boxes. If I run out of wood chips I just use the straw on the floor.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

How will adding another bird help with too much fecal matter?

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.

-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.

-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.

-Runs have semi-deep litter, never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.

-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 5 years.

X2
This approach works for me too.

 

[Stargazer04]

Another chicken coop :C

 

[aart]

I bought another chicken for them hoping it will help and it has alittle.

Another chicken coop :C

Ohhhh, adding another chicken coop!
Well, that will just make two places to clean...same amount of poop.

 

[flyin-lowe]

I do a type of deep litter method. I start in the spring with a couple inch layer of pine shaving. Every couple weeks I throw in a bag of grass clippings, or dried leaves, or some other yard waste. The chickens loving picking through the new layer looking for bugs etc. They keep everything churned up by doing this. It all starts to break down into a compost that I use on my garden. In the fall I shovel it out and spread it all over my garden to sit for the winter. I start over again in the coop and just before garden planting season I again spread it over the garden before I till it all under before planting.
Seems to help my garden and never have an odor issue in the coop. I love my chickens but with my work schedule, sports, kids, etc. I knew I would not want a litter method that would require weekly cleanings. That's one reason I chose DLM.