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.

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

My nesting boxes have wood shavings in them, my coop floor is sand with a little shavings. Half my run is mulch that I rake around to turn the poop under and half is mmmm some what grass that I put a layer of flock fresh over then rake up when needed.

 

[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]

Lol @Cryss, me too!!

 

[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!

 

[CJLR]

I have a dirt floor in my coop and the chickens free range most of the day but we have VERY high humidity here so once in a while when it gets to stinking to bad I will take a shovel and a hoe and clean it out and dust the coop with de

 

[ValerieJ]

I use a rake, a hoe, and a long handled scraper. I put plenty of straw everywhere. I don't think you can keep things pristine for chickens. They aren't very discriminate about where they poop. I clean often, and add plenty of straw everywhere, but there will always be a residue left behind it seems. Next year we will build a new coop, walk in style, and I hope with the sand ideas and careful layout planning my coop will seem cleaner. Still, they are chickens.

 

[Alaskan]

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

 

[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!