How often should I clean it out

[jlchick]

So I have a 4x4 chicken coop attached to a partially covered 175 sq ft enclosed run. My hens (I have 7) go in the coop to sleep at night and rest a bit during the day and it is where the nesting boxes are for the much anticipated eggs. The coop is built on top of cement bocks where they can go under for shade along with a covered concrete “patio.”
Inside the coop is layered with pine shavings and straw. My question is, how often should I clean out the coop, underneath and the patio? I’ve been cleaning it out every two weeks and also raking out the run.
Is that too much or too little?

 

[CurlyQuail]

The simple answer is clean it whenever it gets too dirty. There really is no “too much or too little” as long as you keep the poop and bad bacteria from piling up.

 

[Folly's place]

Your coop is very tiny for seven birds, so more shavings added, and more frequent cleanout might be necessary. Just see how it's doing, and move stuff along as necessary.
Mary

 

[3KillerBs]

It depends on your birds, your climate, your choice of bedding, and more.

I cleaned out my slightly-overpopulated, 4'x4' coop every 6-12 weeks -- adding more bedding once or twice in the meantime and using the manure fork to break up crusted areas if the chickens didn't stir it well enough when I tossed a little scratch into it.

My nose and my eyes were my guide. Was there any odor? Did the poop-to-shaving ratio look too high?

Deep bedding is a flexible system.

 

[AquaDuck]

So I have a 4x4 chicken coop attached to a partially covered 175 sq ft enclosed run. My hens (I have 7) go in the coop to sleep at night and rest a bit during the day and it is where the nesting boxes are for the much anticipated eggs. The coop is built on top of cement bocks where they can go under for shade along with a covered concrete “patio.”
Inside the coop is layered with pine shavings and straw. My question is, how often should I clean out the coop, underneath and the patio? I’ve been cleaning it out every two weeks and also raking out the run.
Is that too much or too little?

In terms of hygiene, you can't clean out a coop too often. Changing bedding unnecessarily often would be a waste of money and work though. Do you have a poop board under the roosts? Could save you having to change the bedding quite as often.

Raking in the run is a good idea to do often. Turning the soil and spending time with the hens at the same time!

 

[Mamatomany123]

With the amount of birds in such a small space, you may have to clean often. I have poop boards. Makes it easier to just sift out poop every morning.

 

[3mile]

We have a similar situation. 5x5 with seven hens. I add chips after about 3 weeks and clean it out completely every 6. Usually let my nose and eyes tell me its time