Hubby wonders if I'm cleaning the brooder too often

[AOrchard]

I also do the low clean and deep litter method. I use deep litter in the coop, so when new chicks are coming I scoop a couple shovelfuls of that into the brooder, add a couple shovelfuls of new bedding, and stir it up. I find my deep litter stays wonderfully dry and minimal odor. Every few days, depending on the number of chicks, I use a stick to stir up the bedding. This buries the fresh stuff, and exposes the relatively clean bedding that's underneath. Younger chicks do not dig as excessively/deep as an adult hen, so the bedding underneath is often untouched. I will add a couple more handfuls of bedding if it seems like it needs it.

To reduce wet bedding, I don't put the waterer on the bedding, I set it on a small piece of 2x6 wood on top of the bedding. Baby chicks can easily navigate the wood, the bedding stays drier, and the bedding stays out of the waterer, because they can't kick it up that high. This also keeps the waterer flat/even and you are less likely to have water dripping over a low side.

Part of the theory behind deep litter is that it builds up beneficial microbes that break down the chicken poo. It seems to me like you either want to clean all the time (like what you are doing), or very rarely (meaning once per year). Somewhere in the middle will potentially be worse than on either end. If you want to do more frequent cleanings, then you will not build up a strong microbe colony, so it's better to be proactive with cleaning. If you are going to utilize deep litter to your benefit, then cleaning often will actually disturb the microbe colonies.

I brooded my last three batches of chicks on mostly the same bedding, simply removing a few shovelfuls between batches, and adding a few new shovelfuls and stirring. All grew healthy and thriving to adulthood.

From my observations of the feed store brooder chicks with new bedding everyday, and chicks raised in a run, the chicks in the run have less health problems. Lots of factors of course, but very clean is not necessarily helpful, as happy that may make us.

I did the same thing with my quail chicks and they thrived great, though I know others have tried and had problems with quails in particular.

 

[Serenityintheverse]

I had a small brooder in my mud porch/office. I cleaned it everyday. Your brooder is pretty big, but do what makes you happy!

 

[RRM]

For our current batch of 24 chicks, we are using a 3/4” layer of sand in the brooder and we sift the poop once a day. Brooder smell is non-existent. We had previously used wood shavings in the brooder, but after using sand this time it’s doubtful we’d ever switch back to shavings. Just like in the big coop and run, the sand sucks the moisture from the poop fairly quickly, keeps the smell down, and looks cleaner overall. This batch of chicks have been doing dust baths in the sand since they were 3 days old.

 

[gtaus]

Part of the theory behind deep litter is that it builds up beneficial microbes that break down the chicken poo. It seems to me like you either want to clean all the time (like what you are doing), or very rarely (meaning once per year). Somewhere in the middle will potentially be worse than on either end.

Well, as I understand it, there are 2 main approaches with deep material in the coop. Unfortunately, there seems to be no agreed upon names for the systems.

1) What I use is a dry, deep bedding system where the goal is keep the bedding fresh by fluffing it up occasionally and adding additional fresh chips on top the bedding to soak up the chicken droppings. The chickens themselves do a pretty good job of turning over the bedding and the chicken poo magically disappears into the deep bedding without much effort. The goal is to keep the bedding dry and not to actively promote composting. In that case, I don't think it builds up much of a microbial system and it probably does not matter how often you choose to change out your bedding material in terms of disturbing the microbes.

2) A Deep litter composting system has other goals. There you actually want to promote composting in the deep litter and that requires a bit of moisture to promote the process and to build up the microbes like you talk about. I have actually seen some of these systems where the person will dampen the bedding until it is like a wrung out sponge. Occasionally they will turn over the deep litter to oxygenate the material for better composting. In this system, you would not want to clean out the litter very often because it would indeed disturb the microbes you have been encouraging to grow. And when you do clean out the deep litter, most sources recommend leaving a layer of the old, microbe rich, material in the bedding so the composting system has a kick start with the new material.

I keep my bedding as dry as possible because I live in northern Minnesota and wet/damp bedding would freeze as hard as concrete in the winter. Once frozen, the bedding no longer absorbs and controls the chicken poo as well. At that point, in the winter, I can only add fresh material on top of the bedding. My main tool for keeping my coop clean is using my finely tuned sensory appendage on my face - my nose - and I either fluff up the bedding or add new bedding on top to keep my coop smelling like fresh wood chips.

In either deep litter/bedding system, the need for cleaning is minimized and would reduce your daily chicken chores to only checking on food and water. In fact, with a 3 gallon waterer and a 5 gallon feeder, I could probably leave my chickens locked up in their coop for 7-10 days without worrying much. But I still collect eggs a few times every day and always check on everything anytime I go out to the coop and run. Point is, you can spend lots of time cleaning your coop if you want, or you can opt for a low maintenance system that requires much less work. And, of course, where you live and how many chickens/size of accommodations you have play a big part in what might work for you.

 

[Kellow1]

He claims I work too hard...

Our twelve, week old on Monday chicks have a brooder in the coop that is about 8x3 with an elevated feeder and two elevated waterers. Every other day I round the chicks up into a towel-lined box, remove all the (large pine shaving) bedding to the compost pile or just toss it into the run area, scrub everything down with soapy vinegar, wipe it all dry, then reassemble the brooder before adding new shavings, putting everything back inside, and putting the chickies back in.

Every day, I wash and refill the waterers, remove and replace any wet bedding beneath the nipple waterer, remove/replace any noticably dirty bedding throughout the day, and wipe away droppings on the frame edges of the brooder (it is built into the coop; still not sure if deeper litter is okay at this point). View attachment 2263630

Thoughts? We are both curious.

I love your coop setup! I am just wondering about the "toys"?

 

[Barbara Lember]

He claims I work too hard...

Our twelve, week old on Monday chicks have a brooder in the coop that is about 8x3 with an elevated feeder and two elevated waterers. Every other day I round the chicks up into a towel-lined box, remove all the (large pine shaving) bedding to the compost pile or just toss it into the run area, scrub everything down with soapy vinegar, wipe it all dry, then reassemble the brooder before adding new shavings, putting everything back inside, and putting the chickies back in.

Every day, I wash and refill the waterers, remove and replace any wet bedding beneath the nipple waterer, remove/replace any noticably dirty bedding throughout the day, and wipe away droppings on the frame edges of the brooder (it is built into the coop; still not sure if deeper litter is okay at this point). View attachment 2263630

Thoughts? We are both curious.

sounds like you are awesome parents. I am a clean freak also.keeps the babys very healthy

 

[Barbara Lember]

Well, as I understand it, there are 2 main approaches with deep material in the coop. Unfortunately, there seems to be no agreed upon names for the systems.

1) What I use is a dry, deep bedding system where the goal is keep the bedding fresh by fluffing it up occasionally and adding additional fresh chips on top the bedding to soak up the chicken droppings. The chickens themselves do a pretty good job of turning over the bedding and the chicken poo magically disappears into the deep bedding without much effort. The goal is to keep the bedding dry and not to actively promote composting. In that case, I don't think it builds up much of a microbial system and it probably does not matter how often you choose to change out your bedding material in terms of disturbing the microbes.

2) A Deep litter composting system has other goals. There you actually want to promote composting in the deep litter and that requires a bit of moisture to promote the process and to build up the microbes like you talk about. I have actually seen some of these systems where the person will dampen the bedding until it is like a wrung out sponge. Occasionally they will turn over the deep litter to oxygenate the material for better composting. In this system, you would not want to clean out the litter very often because it would indeed disturb the microbes you have been encouraging to grow. And when you do clean out the deep litter, most sources recommend leaving a layer of the old, microbe rich, material in the bedding so the composting system has a kick start with the new material.

I keep my bedding as dry as possible because I live in northern Minnesota and wet/damp bedding would freeze as hard as concrete in the winter. Once frozen, the bedding no longer absorbs and controls the chicken poo as well. At that point, in the winter, I can only add fresh material on top of the bedding. My main tool for keeping my coop clean is using my finely tuned sensory appendage on my face - my nose - and I either fluff up the bedding or add new bedding on top to keep my coop smelling like fresh wood chips.

In either deep litter/bedding system, the need for cleaning is minimized and would reduce your daily chicken chores to only checking on food and water. In fact, with a 3 gallon waterer and a 5 gallon feeder, I could probably leave my chickens locked up in their coop for 7-10 days without worrying much. But I still collect eggs a few times every day and always check on everything anytime I go out to the coop and run. Point is, you can spend lots of time cleaning your coop if you want, or you can opt for a low maintenance system that requires much less work. And, of course, where you live and how many chickens/size of accommodations you have play a big part in what might work for you.

dry clean betting is the best. we change ours every two weeks

 

[sherry d]

i do like the press and Seal plastic wrap, I can do that on the top of my little house. The big hens roost above it and I have tried to use regular plastic sheeting, but i can't keep it on.

 

[NightingaleJen]

Apologies for the late response, my computer was in the shop for nearly a month and I hate tapping out long responses on my phone...

Well, you are from a different area so we would definitely see it differently not MUCH differently, but still. I grew up around a small town, so to me, they all seem very close to the same. I do enjoy antiquing in them, and visiting local shops, but I guess I have forgotten their charm. I will try to do better!

I may hold you to that. Actually, it turns out the Route 40 yard sales were moved to this weekend! I'd no idea so we missed it, but TBH, they certainly had good weather for it. 'Round here, anyhow.

Thank you @gtaus! That is actually comforting to read. We also designed our coop with deep bedding in mind, but I wasn't sure how far to go so far as wee chicks. As of I believe a week or a week and a half ago, we just gave them run of their entire coop (with lower roost, of course, since they'll only be five weeks old Monday). They love it, and I just go in and stir up the bedding when it looks necessary. Today I threw some fresh bedding on top, and after I added some dried leaves (our property is mostly wooded, so plenty of those to go around), the flock wasted no time at all digging through and spreading the new bedding around!

They also get regular handfuls of dried leaves as well as soil from around the property (usually with bits of clover mixed in to make it more fun for them). Everybody looks hale and hearty. Especially when I pop in to visit, and they all run up to the Person Door and expect me to entertain them somehow.

Thank you @AOrchard! Hubby loves the idea of deep litter, mostly to take the concern of weekly or bi-weekly cleaning off my shoulders; he would prefer we only have to do it twice a year-ish, if that makes sense. (I'm fine going it alone but of course he wants to help me out.) Again, it was the young age of the birds I was concerned with so far as "germ load", if that makes sense. Also...first time chick parent, so...probably some crazy/helicopter mixed in.

Now that the flock is in the coop itself, I plan to just stir and add new litter as necessary and 'wing it', so to speak, regarding cleaning--trusting my nose, which is pretty sensitive. The chicks do get regular mini-dirt piles (which disappear in seconds), too, which I can only imagine helps add beneficial 'bugs' to the coop. It does not smell bad, even with a dozen chicks in there.

@RRM, do you put the sand in your run, too?

What is the question about the toys, @Kellow1? Sorry, it seems I missed something! They do have a krinkle ball toy for cats, and an old golf ball I Sharpie-d colorful dots onto. When they were very tiny chicks, it was hilarious to see them nudge it around, then pick it up in their beaks!

Oh, they are now finally on a horizontal nipple waterer. No mess! Love it!

 

[CHlCKEN]

He claims I work too hard...

Our twelve, week old on Monday chicks have a brooder in the coop that is about 8x3 with an elevated feeder and two elevated waterers. Every other day I round the chicks up into a towel-lined box, remove all the (large pine shaving) bedding to the compost pile or just toss it into the run area, scrub everything down with soapy vinegar, wipe it all dry, then reassemble the brooder before adding new shavings, putting everything back inside, and putting the chickies back in.

Every day, I wash and refill the waterers, remove and replace any wet bedding beneath the nipple waterer, remove/replace any noticably dirty bedding throughout the day, and wipe away droppings on the frame edges of the brooder (it is built into the coop; still not sure if deeper litter is okay at this point). View attachment 2263630

Thoughts? We are both curious.

Good question, I do however agree with your husband, don’t overwork yourself! That’s seems to be a very large brooder though so here’s what I would do-chicks poop a lot so any hard work is going to be soiled really fast which means a lot of shaving being used up. I would keep cleaning out the watered and wet bedding under it every day but only change out the bedding every other day or every three days. This gives them time to use up all that bedding before you replace it and waste any clean shavings. Then you should clean the sides when you deep clean the shavings. It isn’t good to leave them in nasty stuff for a super long time but don’t overwork yourself by cleaning to much when it isn’t necessary