How Often Should I Clean Out my Coop?

[JSossong]

I just finished coop construction and my girls have been using it for 2 days now. My question is how often should I be cleaning it out to keep it sanitary and not so smelly? Inside there's a linoleum floor covered in hay.

Suggestions and thoughts?
Thanks!
xxx

 

[iwiw60]

Every chicken owner has their own ideas on what is best for the floor area in the coop...what works for them might not work for another. Me personally? I'm using construction-grade sand...not the fine sandbox type, but coarser. Others use what you're using, some use wood shavings...trial and error I guess...to each his own!

 

[4 the Birds]

I just finished coop construction and my girls have been using it for 2 days now. My question is how often should I be cleaning it out to keep it sanitary and not so smelly? Inside there's a linoleum floor covered in hay.

Suggestions and thoughts?
Thanks!
xxx

I think that most will say that daily poop removal is best. Each day you will need to collect eggs, refresh water and feed so taking a few moments to remove waste should be included in the daily visit to the coop. A poop board below your roost bars will save you back and make cleanup much faster and easier. I have 30 chickens and scrape the poop boards daily and sometimes dust the boards with DE to keep them dry. 30 chickens will create 3 large dust pans of waste daily and removing the waste will cut down on ammonia in the coop.

I rake out the coop floor bedding and replace will all new bedding once a year. With a deep bedding method, you can add bedding periodically along with Sweet PDZ and DE throughout the year.

 

[mindylee]

I have a 9x36 coop with 50-90 bantam cochins at any given time...

I use sawdust which I found to be better after yrs of using straw. I will never use straw again. I clean every other to 2 months and I have no smells. Dust yes smells no.

I noticed mites are down too as well as dirty birds. Much happier both my birds and I.

 

[JSossong]

Thanks everyone!

@mindylee when you were using straw how often did you remove/replace it? Did you do any daily cleanings? More info if you can please

 

[mindylee]

I was cleaning biweekly then.
The poo and wetness didnt dry like it dose in the sawdust. Thats also y I believe the mites was harder to get rid of and there was always moister in it.
Plus it was harder to clean even tho straw is easy to clean. I just found the sawdust much easier. I dont even use it in nest boxs anymore.

I noticed my birds like dust much better too. They love dust bathing in it and also the DE I use in my coop mixes better in the dust which helps with any mites.

Its just my personal opinion and even tho straw is cheaper to use, I will always use the dust.

 

[JSossong]

@mindylee Thanks for the info. I may just bite the bullet and start using sawdust. I'm going to see how the hay works out and go from there. They've been in their coop for 3 days now, today I went in and did a one-over, cleaned the "poop deck" underneath the perches and laid some more hay. I know it's only been 3 days but all seems to be going well....I did hang their waterer and I am a bit concerned about when they splash water out onto the hay, I guess i'll find out what happens. Also the whole mites thing worries me. I'm sure i'll figure more out with experience.

 

[iwiw60]

@mindylee Thanks for the info. I may just bite the bullet and start using sawdust. I'm going to see how the hay works out and go from there. They've been in their coop for 3 days now, today I went in and did a one-over, cleaned the "poop deck" underneath the perches and laid some more hay. I know it's only been 3 days but all seems to be going well....I did hang their waterer and I am a bit concerned about when they splash water out onto the hay, I guess i'll find out what happens. Also the whole mites thing worries me. I'm sure i'll figure more out with experience.

Don't use sawdust! You can get bales of "pine wood shavings" at your local feed store...Sawdust packs down and will retain moisture...just FYI!!

 

[tatterbug]

I was told not to clean my coop out in the winter because the chicken manure keeps the floor warm ??

Not sure

 

[JSossong]

@iwiw60 good thing to know! Thanks!