How often should i clean the coup?

[ReillyJ]

i have 4 hens that i got from the neighbors who abandoned them and i cleaned out a 8 x 10 wood dog house with an attached run and filled the coop with pine shavings and put them in there almost 2 months ago.

About 3 weeks ago i let them out to free range during the day, needless to say it keeps the coop/run much cleaner, the run is concrete so i hose it off daily (they have a kids plastic swimming pool filled with dirt that they hang out in) and the coop i just scoop the poop and occasionally have put fresh bedding in but have never just cleaned the entire thing out as they've only been there 2months.

Should i take the entire pine shavings out and replace? Thinking of spraying with Manna Pro Poultry Protector for mites, etc. I do NOT KNOW yet if they have mites as i'll have to go out there when they roost and check, only 2 will let me kind of pet them, this will be an ordeal and stressful for them for me to check for mites but i have to do it, i also imagine the concrete floor of the run, although probably not ideal for chickens, helps to keep any infestation down but i need to know how to properly care for the coop now that i have hens!

(Also thinking of possibly putting up a "poop bar" to catch underneath the roost to keep it cleaner, hopefully?)

Thanks for any input and help and advice, i want to do what's right by my hens health but have to keep it relatively simple!!

 

[BantamLover21]

With my larger coop, I clean it out about twice a year. I maintain a 4-6 inch layer of shavings, and add new shavings every few months or so. Unless the bedding gets wet, there is very little smell, and it looks just fine.

When I clean out my coop, I remove all of the shavings and then use Sevin and dust the corners, roosts, and cracks. I have problems with mites from time to time, but I think that is just an inescapable part of having lots of chickens--they attract parasites. The mites go away quickly, and my birds are usually quite healthy.

A tray beneath your coop's roost would definitely help in keeping it cleaner. Or, you could just keep regularly spot cleaning the dirtiest areas.

In your case, I don't think it is necessary to clean out the entire coop more than once every two months. Just make sure that when you do clean it out, you thoroughly remove the bedding and dust/spray for mites/lice.

 

[ronmauldin]

I clean out the coop weekly. I also use pine shavings and poultry protector in the coop. My run is dirt covered in pine shavings. I use the deep litter method there and just rake it weekly. Never had to clean it out completely and never had a problem with odor. I also have a dust bath area in the run with sand and diatamaceous earth. Have never had a problem with mites.

 

[teach1rusl]

I think you will love using a dropping board (I think that's what you're calling a poop bar)! It keeps the bedding pretty daggone clean because the droppings fall onto the board overnight. I keep a small bucket and 6" putty knife handy and simply take 30 seconds to scrape the waste into the bucket each day. Once a week or so I empty the bucket into the compost area.

Now, I'm in Indiana, so the bedding DOES get pooped up over the winter time, when they spend a lot more time inside their housing during the day. But spring, summer,and fall, it stays clean (yeah - you'll still find a stray dropping here/there, but not often) because they really only go inside to lay eggs or to roost, and the dropping boards catches all the roost droppings.

I do mix DE into their floor bedding to deter mites. I only clean out bedding in early spring, because it's gotten mucked up over the winter months.

 

[welasharon]

About the mites...you check them at night. It's less stressful on you and them.

 

[ReillyJ]

About the mites...you check them at night. It's less stressful on you and them.

I'm going to try it! Two of them don't like me touching them at all... so i'll do my best when they're on the roost

 

[welasharon]

I have a flock of white face black Spanish they are so wild they have a fit at night when I mess with them.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

As needed - there really is no one right answer as you will discover what works for your setup to keep it to the standards of cleanliness you desire. I clean the poop boards daily, but as far as cleaning the coop itself, that has not yet been necessary - I am doing a deep litter method on the coop floor and it will likely be a once or twice a year occurrence for the coop to be stripped out.