How to Clean Their New Coop - Suggestions?

[AppleMomma65]

10 week old chicks in coop for 1.5 weeks and I'd love suggestions on how to keep this clean. Thinking deep litter method only because I'd like to use compost in gardens at some point.

A-frame coop. Underneath the roost bar is a ledge that has removable plastic boards that sit on hardware cloth. I've started with pine shavings because that's what I had while they were in the brooder - I have 1 1/2 bags and would like to use it up. Floor of coop and run is dirt. Not sure what to do with the poop mixed with shavings and how often to clean? I'd like to collect material to compost but not sure if I push down onto coop floor for the chickens to mix in with the dirt, or ... ???

Their run is off the back. In run, I put leaves, dried pine needles, a light layer of grass clippings (chicks love to scratch around and find the bugs!). I can push the "waste" to the run but not sure if that's needed? (In pictures, I've got plastic boards up to keep the wind out as tonight it will be getting down to 38 and it's pretty breezy here.)

And last, I know they won't be laying for a while but I thought I could use some tall, dry grass we had in our meadow and wanted to get it in their boxes while it was dry. Nest boxes are same height as roost area. I have cut up car mats in each box, underneath the dry grass. thoughts on using dry grass? It is not straw.

 

[cavemanrich]

I do not see a need to clean at this time. Keep putting additional bedding like your pine shavings when there are too many gumdrops visible. That will help them dry out, and keep chickens feet relatively clean. When the buildup gets sizable, like after 6 months, then you can shovel everything out into a compost pile, and start fresh. I only clean out my coop twice per year. I use a modified Deep Litter Method. Mine is more of a Deep Used Bedding method. I use hay inside my coop, for floor, and nesting. My coop smells good, but of course like chickens. I do not encounter fowl smells, or ammonia smells. I do have good ventilation.
Your dried grass is essentially HAY. I use my bagged lawn clippings, inside my run area. If I run out of hay, I will dry some of my bagged grass during summer, on my driveway. After about one week, I have used it in the coop. Did not want to put green moist grass into enclosed coop. (dry is best)
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and,,

 

[rosemarythyme]

Depends on how you want to manage the compost. I don't like stepping in poop all over the run, so I collect obvious surface poops daily and take them over to my compost bin.

If you're planning to compost on the spot, probably going to need to continuously layer in browns to keep breaking the poop down.

You can try the dried grass for nests. Might want to consider chopping it up, I don't know. I tried dried grass myself and had hens attempting to choke down the long stalks, so I scrapped that real fast.

 

[aart]

Looks like roosts are lower than nests?
Assuming those 2x3(?) on an angle are the roosts...
....and the egg shaped holes(cool!) are the nests.

 

[AppleMomma65]

Those bars are "jump bars" to get up into nests. Also have below roost bar (on opposite side of nest boxes) but yes, can sit /roost in them as well. As I've continued to check on them in eve per your suggestion ), they are now on the roost bar, not the jump bars (and not piling anymore - yay!)