Inherited Large (for me) chicken coop, uncleaned.

[Lenny loves chickens]

Would love to see inside pic? If you could take pics I am in the middle of designing and putting a couple coops together and I think I like they layout if it's as cool looking inside as the outside lol

 

[stephenthayer61]

Would love to see inside pic? If you could take pics I am in the middle of designing and putting a couple coops together and I think I like they layout if it's as cool looking inside as the outside lol

I certainly will. To me, the coop is complicated being new to all of it, its probably not as sophisticated as I think it is with my current experience level. But yea, Ill take pics and pics of the flock as well. Im pretty certain that I have at least two cockrels if not three. So that would leave me with 4 hens. I will be keeping one rooster. There is a small local zoo near my house that will take in Roo's so thats where I plan on taken them.

 

[saysfaa]

I would prioritize keeping the snakes out over cleaning it. That would be hardware cloth over any hole bigger than a half inch (after you make any repairs of holes. Snakes, or a different predator coming out of the woods, eating the chicks would worry me far more than year old poop in it.

If there is time for more, I would do the dry scraping too. Whitewash is good at disinfecting and against mites so worth doing if you can find the right kind of lime and can hold off moving the chicks in until tomorrow or the next day. I wouldn't consider it essential before moving them in, though. It is more risk but I think it still a low risk.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you? Climate matters, especially when it comes to housing.

Since it's been unused for 6 months I'd honestly just go for a surface clean - broom, paint scraper & shop vac (or blower), getting out as much old bedding, poop, etc as possible.

A dry clean is my preference, no worries about waiting for things to dry out, and since it's been quite a while since it was last occupied you're at lower risk of disease/pests/etc. still being active.

I agree with this.

As a general rule, dry chickens are healthy chickens and the wet-cleaning of a chicken coop should only be done out of dire necessity.

I’m going to cull one, just wanna see which is tamer due to having a standoff w the neighbors roo late last fall.

Because these are your first chickens and because you have young children I strongly suggest that you cull/rehome all males for the first year while you learn chicken-keeping. Aggressive cockerels/roosters have ruined the chicken experience for many people and can present an active danger, particularly to young children, because they go for the face/eyes when attacking.

Additionally, a cockerel raised in a flock with adults learns better chicken manners as he grows than a cockerel who grows up as the biggest, toughest thing in the flock of his age-peer pullets.

This is the advice I was given and it's worked out very well for me.

 

[Alagirl]

Scrubbing off hard baked on chicken poop is almost impossible. I'd just scrape everything down to get the high spots, sweep, and either nuke with bleach or whitewash the inside. .Poop on the outside exposed to rain should be breaking down on it's own; no?.

you might have to chisel some away.

 

[stephenthayer61]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you? Climate matters, especially when it comes to housing.



I agree with this.

As a general rule, dry chickens are healthy chickens and the wet-cleaning of a chicken coop should only be done out of dire necessity.



Because these are your first chickens and because you have young children I strongly suggest that you cull/rehome all males for the first year while you learn chicken-keeping. Aggressive cockerels/roosters have ruined the chicken experience for many people and can present an active danger, particularly to young children, because they go for the face/eyes when attacking.

Additionally, a cockerel raised in a flock with adults learns better chicken manners as he grows than a cockerel who grows up as the biggest, toughest thing in the flock of his age-peer pullets.

This is the advice I was given and it's worked out very well for me.

After working 12 hours last night, then a few errands were done. I started to clena at 11a. This first floor was filthy. Poop treys had about 6lbs of Pooh on them each.

I highly doubt that coop has ever been cleaned. I had to shuck, push and scrape the dirt and hay off the floor. It was disgusting. I brought two buckets and rinsed off the wood floor after aggressively cleaning the floor, let it dry and placed 3 packs of pine shavings down. The other half of the run and brooding area needs fixing to protect vs predators, but the main house is 100% secure. They are running around in there chasing all kinds of bugs and eating grass that’s in the front run.

I didn’t get upstairs yet either. I wore a respirator but, goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Even wore a hair net. That was no fun but it’s done!

Thanks for all the advice !

 

[stephenthayer61]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you? Climate matters, especially when it comes to housing.



I agree with this.

As a general rule, dry chickens are healthy chickens and the wet-cleaning of a chicken coop should only be done out of dire necessity.



Because these are your first chickens and because you have young children I strongly suggest that you cull/rehome all males for the first year while you learn chicken-keeping. Aggressive cockerels/roosters have ruined the chicken experience for many people and can present an active danger, particularly to young children, because they go for the face/eyes when attacking.

Additionally, a cockerel raised in a flock with adults learns better chicken manners as he grows than a cockerel who grows up as the biggest, toughest thing in the flock of his age-peer pullets.

This is the advice I was given and it's worked out very well for me.

I am in Cecil County Maryland. Moved here in the early winter.

 

[MGG]

After working 12 hours last night, then a few errands were done. I started to clena at 11a. This first floor was filthy. Poop treys had about 6lbs of Pooh on them each.

I highly doubt that coop has ever been cleaned. I had to shuck, push and scrape the dirt and hay off the floor. It was disgusting. I brought two buckets and rinsed off the wood floor after aggressively cleaning the floor, let it dry and placed 3 packs of pine shavings down. The other half of the run and brooding area needs fixing to protect vs predators, but the main house is 100% secure. They are running around in there chasing all kinds of bugs and eating grass that’s in the front run.

I didn’t get upstairs yet either. I wore a respirator but, goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Even wore a hair net. That was no fun but it’s done!

Thanks for all the advice !

It looks great! Those are your Easter Egger chicks?
They look like they're actually red sexlinks to me. Feed stores are notorious for mixing up labels.

 

[stephenthayer61]

It looks great! Those are your Easter Egger chicks?
They look like they're actually red sexlinks to me. Feed stores are notorious for mixing up labels.

Yes they are supposed to be EE. I got them from TSC. Glad I did cause it forced me to clean the coop. The coop wa drown the priority list. Once we got chicks, it moved up the list quick.
I have at least 2 roo’s. I may have 4. Two I thought were hens, definitely showing some too traits. Ole Cogburn is definitely a roo. He looks like one already.

 

[Ebony Rose]

As you're going through all the work to thoroughly clean that NICE coop, you may consider prophalactically dusting it with mite/tick powder that's safe for chickens. The name of the active ingredient escapes me, so hoping someone will chime in with the generic or brand name of the stuff I'm talking about.