How to best clean sand in coop?

[holtchicks]

We have a small backyard coop with 5 chicks. I am using sand as I read about on BYC. This is a family project that my 6 year old is heading up and I am realizing how hard it is to keep the sand clean. We are coop training the 5 week olds, since I do not enjoy chasing them around the yard- though my husband and neighbor find it funny. So now the poop is piling up even more and I find myself in a cloud of poopy sand and dust while leaning deep in the coop. I know it comes with the territory but I thought I might ask since other ideas (especially chicken nipples) were so helpful. Attached a pic of the interior of coop, now I have a 7 lb feeder and water bucket hanging above upper deck, a ramp leads to super poopy lower deck where you can see the 3 nest boxes. Should I switch to wood shavings and blow it all out with the blower? Keep sand? Allow my daughter to clean it despite breathing the poopy dust?

 

[what eggs]

Would a "litter scoop" for cleaning cat litter work to get the poop out of the sand? If the dust is still an issue those paper medical masks are cheap if she is willing to put one on for cleaning.
If you go to shavings it looks like a small push broom could get most of them out that hole by the ramp then you could blow out what remains. A container under the ramp could collect the shavings as you push them out.

 

[Chicky Things]

I use a litter scoop and it's amazing. Their night roosts are enclosed (predators) and are about the size of your coop. I have an extra large metal cat litter scoop with an adjustable handle length. It is wonderful. I just scoop out the poop every morning and put it right into the compost. With 40 chickens, it's super clean and easy. As the sand pile gets thinner, I just add fresh. Super affordable and keeps down bugs and bacteria.

 

[beanslentilspeas]

I use a litter scoop and it's amazing. Their night roosts are enclosed (predators) and are about the size of your coop. I have an extra large metal cat litter scoop with an adjustable handle length. It is wonderful. I just scoop out the poop every morning and put it right into the compost. With 40 chickens, it's super clean and easy. As the sand pile gets thinner, I just add fresh. Super affordable and keeps down bugs and bacteria.

where did you get the scoop with the adjustable handle?