How to keep my concrete clean from droppings?

[Adnan10]

Hi all, this has been a real dilemma for me. My backyard is not that large. Also, it is painted and it is all concrete. The issue I have had is that my chickens do their droppings as they roam freely in the backyard on this colored concrete. If I don't get to it right away and a garden house is not strong enough and I end up using a pressure washer which not only cleans the droppings but causes the paint to come off as well. What can I do to no longer have this kind of problem with the chickens droppings? I don't like the idea of keeping them in a cage cooped up unless this is my only option? Please give me some great suggestions!

 

[Justso]

Maybe get a corgi?

Sorry, couldn't resist. Can you post pictures? I'm not getting your description.
Also, where are you?

 

[so lucky]

Is it a concrete patio in your back yard, where there is grass beyond the concrete? Or is your whole back yard concrete?

 

[ChickNanny13]

2x @so lucky ... picture would help.
Fence off a section for the chickens & toss in shavings?
Paint the concrete a darker color?
Depending how many chickens you have, put up a coop/run?

 

[Slash3]

This seems like the sort of problem you should have forseen whilst researching keeping chickens?. I agree with fencing off a portion and putting shavings, straw etc down. Also, is the paint used safe for the birds?

 

[featheredplanets]

Chickens will poo wherever they like, they can’t really be trained to do it one area. They won’t just poo two or three times a day like a dog. We sectioned off an area of our garden for them. I have 10-15 birds and the area is about 500sqft. It’s dirt and grass. It still gets covered in poo but it washes away with the rain. If you don’t want to be following them around with a hosepipe it’d be best to build a run for them. Chickens can be very happy in a run if it’s the right size and full of enrichment. You should provide a minimum of 10sqft per bird for the run, e.g 6 birds, 60sqft, 6x10ft run. There’s nothing you can really do other than leaving them on the concrete, building a suitable run or rehoming.

This article is being featured this week: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/keeping-chickens-without-free-ranging.73590/

 

[That_australian_lad]

if you have a wood berning fire wet the concreat couver it all in ash and wash it down with a hose ps i have neely 20 fluf butts so i have to do it frecwently

 

[That_australian_lad]

you cant stop them so clean regualy good luck

 

[Justso]

Mega good post, maybe you could also consider laying down a thin layer of sand. This would prevent sticking and make clean up easier.

 

[so lucky]

This go round with chickens, my DH was pretty adamant that he didn't want the patio covered in chicken poo. Chickens love to be there, because there are things stored, lawnmower, bales of straw, wheelbarrow, etc, that provide hidey places and often crickets and other bugs. So I am doing my darndest to train the new chickens to stay off the patio. I chase them off with a rake 2 or 3 time during the hour or so that they are allowed to free range daily. I think they understand, but when my back is turned for 3 minutes, there they all are lounging and pecking around....and pooping on the patio. It's a constant battle.

Last time we had chickens, I fenced off the patio with chicken wire and fashioned a "gate" were we could get the lawnmower out, etc. The chickens didn't try to jump over much. You might want to try that. But if all you have is concrete in your yard, I don't see a solution.