Just cleaned out my coop from winter, there must be an easier way.

[harleyjo]

I went in again this morning with a bucket and rake and got out some of the bigger poohs from overnight. Where my coop sits it is impossible in the winter with snow or if it is muddy to get to it easily to scoop it all out. I had one of those big storage totes with wheels on one end and I can't tell you how many trips back and forth I made to dump litter. I just don't know if I can stand to let it get like that again. We had such wet weather I couldn't get to it until this weekend and it had dried out and it was soooo stinky in there even with me adding more shavings.

 

[sonew123]

I have one barn 50 x 25 that I clean consistently
2 seperate coops besides
and 4 breeding pens
2 more coops coming shortly. Sat's rain shine or freezing temps Im out there cleaning cleaing cleaning-I hate DLM Ive been trying it for 3 years and I just can't take it and the smell.
Sat's I spend hours cleaning and touching up-I love it
I use a wheel barrel and rakes and shovels-unload in compost pile
in Spring I use my hubbies bobcat to pick up all the piles I accumulated and couldnt dump at -

I have had folks ask me for the dirty bedding-for their gardens. I tell them SURE!!! You can have whatever you collect when your cleaning my coops for it! Dead serious..people think Im joking but Im not and Ive had a few folks (who dont own birds-otherwise I wouldnt let them come) actually do a great job!!! I tell them to bring a truck and gloves and Ill supply the N-95's for breathing protection. They enjoy it and I do tooo hehhee

 

[dsqard]

Quote:
Sweet PDZ (also can be sold as Stall Dri) is similar to DE but granular. It does the same thing as DE as far as keeping moisture down. I don't think that it can be added to food like DE can. It is usually eaiser to find than DE as well. Most feed stores will have it.
RVT900? I don't know, this is a new one to me.
Apple Picker, also known as a muck rake. Used for picking up horse manure but leaves the bedding since the tines are further apart than a rake usually. Again, these can be found at feed stores typically. They are really handy at turning over the shavings if you are doing the deep litter method. I have several but I use them for both the horses and the chickens. You don't have to have more than one, just handy to have more than one so I don't have to walk all the way to the barn if I need one at the coop.

 

[bsntomsn]

Hey everyone. What do you do with your chickens in the winter?

 

[Deanner03]

I'm with sonew123 on this one. I've tried the DLM, and can't handle it. I JUST.CAN'T.HANDLE.IT. It's too much for me. I clean weekly. During the winter (and in Quebec, we get WINTER), it sometimes goes more than a week if it's frozen solid. The MINUTE it warms up a bit, I'm out there cleaning it all out.

 

[sheila3935]

I use rake and pitch fork or shovel and a wheel barrow. One coop took all day but when I was done it felt so good that their coop was clean and fresh. I also scrub walls and roosts. Every day in the winter I would scrape roosts and turn the bedding adding stall dry or DE in it. Never had an ammonia smell or poopy smell this way. The duck pen on the other hand I will have to find another way next winter. I used straw this winter and today will be the second day of mucking that out. I had chickens in their yesterday while I was trying to get all the straw out. They were having great fun grabbing worms I over turned while in there.

 

[bsntomsn]

Hey everyone. What do you do with your chickens in the winter?

 

[AKsmama]

This is an RTV 900:

It's like a JD Gator, but better, since it's a Kubota

Our coop has an entire wall that opens up so DH can get the (Kubota) tractor in there to scoop out the old stuff.

 

[flowergirl60]

Quote:
Depends on where you live. Some winters like where I'm at they go in the coop at night and roam around the yard in the day. Up north I think with the snow and all they probably stay in their coop.

 

[bsntomsn]

Your right. I live in Cols, Ohio. Our winters get pretty cold. I am about to embark on building my coop (here in the city). So needless to say it's not very big. I worry about them being in a small area for a long period of time.