Keeping a clean coop...

[DellaMyDarling]

How do you go about It?

Preferred cleaning methods, tools, or non toxic spray solutions?
Are you an herb sprinkler?
If using deep litter over linoleum, what's your favorite deep litter substrate?



So I feel like my coop is icky. The chicks in particular have pooped upon the bookcase turned into nesting boxes, which is grossing me out. There's poo on every roost surface. There's poo on the ramp and other places I can't easily take outside to pressure wash haha.
Before winter I plan to pressure wash the removable roost and coat in coop paint, wish I got to it sooner.
I feel like the nest boxes need a refresh.
I think the air smells dusty.
What do you do to tidy up?

 

[aart]

'Clean' can be highly subjective.
Yep, they poop on everything...I just scrape off the big stuff.
But it rarely stinks, unless a fresh one has just been dropped or it's very humid.
I have good ventilation and never use any liquid to clean, dry is best, IMO.

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.

-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.

-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.

- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.

-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 5 years.

 

[chookchick]

Clean?! A chicken coop is supposed to be clean? Please don't tell my chickens!
I'm happy if it just doesn't stink. Knock the cobwebs down and sweep out the old litter twice a year, sift the poopboard once a week. The roost is a mess and I think it'll be easier to make a new one than clean the old one!

 

[chrissynemetz]

I have 71 chickens. This 'clean' you speak of.... it sounds lovely. I vaguely remember it once... many chickens ago...

 

[Cryss]

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 5 years.

I am SOOO glad to read this!

 

[Farmgirl1878]

I have natural, washed, river sand in the coop, run, and nest boxes. Twice a day, I use a wok skimmer to scoop up the poop and compost it. Keeps everything clean and fresh. Well, as fresh as a coop can be anyway!

 

[Alaskan]

I really think that the more square feet per chicken = less cleaning needed as well as less smell.

 

[Toothpick]

Chickens were a bad choice if poo bothers you that much

I clean out the poop boards anywhere from every day to 1 week. I don’t like to let them go longer than a week otherwise it’s terrible. I use pine shavings for the bedding and I change that once a year. That’s about the only cleaning I do. If there is poo on top of the nest boxes I might brush it off in the floor. Or I might leave it.

 

[Folly's place]

I have anywhere from 35 to 50 chickens at any time, and daily poo scooping isn't going to happen here! No sand in the run or coop, no poop boards, nothing that takes that kind of daily effort. Lazy! And with deep and dry bedding, it's still okay.
Mary

 

[Kdlevesque]

My secret is linoleum in the coop with pine shavings. We had some leftover when we got our kitchen done. I am OCD about keeping the coop clean. My husband built a hinged back door that swings all the way open and I sweep everything thing out, weekly. The run, is a dirt floor but I like to use straw down there. I rake it out every 4 to 5 weeks and replace the straw. I dump all the old straw and shavings in our compost piles in the back. No problems with smell or flies! My husband is quite crafty when he built our coop. Very easy to clean. We have an automatic feeder with an auger you turn and fill from the outside and a neat pvc watering system that is also filled from the outside. I have told my husband he could make millions designing coops... ha ha but it took a year to build it so his answer was...NO