How often should I completely clean out my chicken coop?

[Chicken999]

How often should I completely clean out my chicken coop? Answers?

 

[21hens-incharge]

That depends on a lot of factors...
Do you do deep litter in the coop?
How many chickens?
How big is the coop?
Climate?
Do they spend much time in the coop?

I have 19 hens in an 8x14 coop and they spend a lot of time in it if it is cold outside. I fully clean mine once every 2 weeks with spot cleaning in between.

 

[chickengirl1230]

It depends on how many chickens you have and how big the coop is. I would say whenever it starts to build up. Whenever you think it needs it. I usually clean mine probably about every other month. It might need a little more in the summer because when it gets hot, it tends to have a stronger odor. If you have a lot of chickens in a small space and they don't get to free range, they will need it more frequently. Hope this helps e

Taylor

 

[azygous]

It is completely up to you and the level of filth and odor you are willing to tolerate and have your chickens live in.

 

[Ashley Stroud]

I find for myself, it depends on a lot of factors, such as climate, coop and run size, whether you free range or not, bedding type, and climate.

I live in the Pac NW so its drizzly and muddy here right now. I use a combo of Sweet PDZ and sand in my coop and I free range every day rain or shine and the girls are free to come and go as they please. I scoop the dropping board everyday or every other day, and spot clean the rest of the coop as needed. I use nest box pads with straw on top and change the straw out every week but change the nest pad once it gets a bit used looking.

As far as cleaning out my entire coop, scrubbing down the walls and floor, and starting over, I've done it twice in 5mos. I feel that for my setup and the daily and weekly maintenance I give it, this is plenty. Basically I do it for the three seasons we have here.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have never scubbed mine. What you need to look at is smell and dampness. If you can smell ammonia, need to get the manure out of there. If it feels damp, need to get that bedding out of there.

I do mine about every month. I have a 5 x 6 coop, inside a run. I take a rake, sweep up the run, use that for mulch on my garden, pull the bedding and nests out into the run, sweep to get rid of the worst of it, add clean dry bedding (old hay) under the roost and in the nest boxes.

I don't chlorox it or wash it. Just a sweep.


Mrs K

 

[donrae]

Agree we need more info on your set up, what type of coop, bedding, flooring, number of birds, etc.

Myself, I do deep litter in a dirt floor large walk-in coop. truthfully, I only take all the bedding out once a year or so. Otherwise, just add more shavings every couple months. No odor or parasites.