Keeping coop clean

[SplitCreekFarm]

I am building a new coop following coop design of Virginia woodland coop that has a tray under the roost rail. Can the tray be filled with a clumping cat litter or will my girls eat it. They will have plenty of food and grit available to eat at all times.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I am building a new coop following coop design of Virginia woodland coop that has a tray under the roost rail. Can the tray be filled with a clumping cat litter or will my girls eat it. They will have plenty of food and grit available to eat at all times.

Here are a few things I do to keep my coop clean:

Nest boxes
In my nest boxes I fold a feed bag to fit (nest boxes are 1 ft³). When a bag gets soiled; fold a new one; pop out the soiled; pop in the new. Feed bags are a nylon mesh bag frozen poop just peels off in below freezing temperatures and just flakes off in summer when left out in the sun to bake and dry.



POOP BOARDS are the "BEST" addition yet. Handles well over ½ of the poop in my set up keeps ammonia smell in check 3½" below roost excellent for catching eggs laid through the night (roost are in cups for easier removal and cleaning). I recently friction fit a piece of vinyl flooring over my poop board.it makes clean up even easier; Pop out; Scrap; Hose; Pop in.

Winter months even easier flex over compost bin DONE!

Easy peasy!.

 

[jetdog]

I am building a new coop following coop design of Virginia woodland coop that has a tray under the roost rail. Can the tray be filled with a clumping cat litter or will my girls eat it. They will have plenty of food and grit available to eat at all times.

I wouldn't use cat litter they might eat it, not the smartest creatures, sweet pdz is the best, tractor supply sells it, a 25# bag is around $7,it absorbs the ammonia smell and keeps the coop smelling alot better.

 

[cknkids]

I've seen sweet PDF recommended.

 

[coop-er]

I wouldn't use cat litter they might eat it, not the smartest creatures, sweet pdz is the best, tractor supply sells it, a 25# bag is around $7,it absorbs the ammonia smell and keeps the coop smelling alot better.

I have sand under my roosting poles and pine shavings in the rest of the coop. Do I just mix in the PDZ with the sand and shavings?

 

[coop-er]

And another question. My birds have just been put into my new coop and run. The run is grass now but I know that won't last long. What should I do with the run now.....before the grass area is turned completely muddy? It is covered, so it's not getting much rain, but they will soon make a mess of it. Should I put down straw, sand, pine shavings or something else??

 

[jetdog]

And another question. My birds have just been put into my new coop and run. The run is grass now but I know that won't last long. What should I do with the run now.....before the grass area is turned completely muddy? It is covered, so it's not getting much rain, but they will soon make a mess of it. Should I put down straw, sand, pine shavings or something else??

Yes you can cut the pdz with the sand, more pdz than sand to get the most out of it. I put sand in my run I used 2x6's as a boarder and landscape fabric down with welded wire on top of that to prevent anything from digging in, very easy to clean with a cat litter scoop and a rake, I have 4 hens so I usually clean it every Saturday and it only takes 5 minutes.