Mesh floor, 2ft off of ground

[DizzyTxGirl]

I have 8 hens, 1 rooster and 2 rabbits that all share the space. The coop is about 4x8 and is elevated, has a mesh floor. The chickens and rabbits go in and out as they please, They have a 10x10 fenced area and can get under the coop if they want. Their 'yard' is all dirt and I will toss in grass and scraps for them to rummage through as well as laying pellets. They are almost 3 months old now, so still a bit away from laying, but there are 4 nesting boxes in the coop. What else do I need to be doing? Do I need to clean out my chicken pen, Everything falls through to the ground when they are roosting.

 

[chfite]

It seems to me that sufficiently friable soil would allow the chickens to turn everything under in the normal course of scratching. So, if there is nothing to remove, then maintenance is minimal. In my coop and run, the coop is elevated over part of the run as is yours. With a dirt and sand area, there is nothing to remove. It all gets turned under in the course of life.

I think that having added river sand to the soil helped make it easier for them to turn the soil. If that be the case, then it was well worth it.

I have a poop tray under the main part of the roost in which I use deep litter. It requires cleaning infrequently. The rest of the floor is hardware cloth. It was a good idea, but not the best operationally.

Chris