Must have supplies for clean coop

[Flockincrazy]

I use mine for composting so I scoop once a week under the perches and clean clean twice a yr the coop and the yard i get new mulch once a yr for the yard and straw (for the nest boxes) i replace once a month

 

[OlympicChick]

Do you do anything special to the coffee grinds before using?

Not really. Most of the time it's just small amounts and I just throw it over everything. If it is a large amount I'll dig it in a little bit to the soil, but that's it. I don't dry it first or anything.

The Flock Fresh isn't necessary, it just smells good

 

[mandymcg05]

Pine shavings I only use in a covered coop/run. I add one pine flake from tractor supply a month if that to my 6x14. I Change the nest bedding once a month and dump it on the floor and depending on how much it has rained or whats needed. Its 3/4 of the bail at lest by the time I refill the nest boxes and cover the back have with new. I rake everything forward to the high traffic area . Bare dirt by feeder and water. When it get deep and ugly i get the snow shovel and muck it out and go again. Every third or forth month.



How on earth do you keep all that from going out of the door?! I’m trying to figure out my set up. These are great ideas. I need something budget friendly/conscious and low maintenance but fresh!

 

[WallyG74]

Cat litter scoop and a teenager.

 

[farmgrl7]

Ok, so I have an older barn, my chickens are in an enclosed section that use to be for calves. It’s sectioned off from the main barn but my issue is, concrete floor. It sweats, I use pine shavings/some straw. And when it gets wet or sweats I clean the coop and sprinkle barn lime.
does anyone else have this type of flooring, what do you use for bedding, cleaning advice. I’m so worried about coccidiosis.

 

[farmgrl7]

My chips are a mix of woods from my property, so some fir, hemlock, cedar, pine. The tree company cuts them very chunky, and then we left them to age to reduce the possibility of harmful aspergillus growth.

We get a lot of rain but our soil naturally has good drainage. The wood chips let the rain water through and acts as a drier mat for the chickens to walk on. I used to have a huge mud and odor problem in the chicken run, but the deep litter has now stabilized the soil completely and it's easy even for people to walk on after heavy rainfall.

These chicks are safely walking on the run litter after a night of heavy rain - no puddles in the run at all.
View attachment 2142791

Cedar isn’t good. Bad for respiratory

 

[rosemarythyme]

Cedar isn’t good. Bad for respiratory

It would be literally impossible to get wood chips around here without cedar mixed in, as it's simply part of the environment here. That said, I feel very comfortable about using cedar in my set up. We have western cedar which is lower aroma than eastern red cedar (which is highly aromatic and the type of cedar associated with hope chests and insect repellants). I guarantee if you stood in my chip pile you wouldn't even know there was cedar unless very good at identifying wood by sight, as there is no odor. Plus the coop has ample ventilation, well over the minimum recommendation.

 

[farmgrl7]

It would be literally impossible to get wood chips around here without cedar mixed in, as it's simply part of the environment here. That said, I feel very comfortable about using cedar in my set up. We have western cedar which is lower aroma than eastern red cedar (which is highly aromatic and the type of cedar associated with hope chests and insect repellants). I guarantee if you stood in my chip pile you wouldn't even know there was cedar unless very good at identifying wood by sight, as there is no odor. Plus the coop has ample ventilation, well over the minimum recommendation.

That is interesting! I wasn’t trying to be rude btw. I live in Wisconsin so we have the higher aroma cedar.
I love the smell but here it’s harmful.

 

[rmlewis4]

i use pine shavings inside the coop and compressed straw in the nest boxes, and when that gets dirty it goes outside into the run then when it's starting to get yucky it goes into the compost bin. i have DE but have not used it yet.i clean the coop about every 3 weeks. can't stand the stanky. lol i empty the run twice a year.

 

[zgun]

I am hesitant to use DE, just from all the negatives I heard.
What’s the vinegar cleaning solution you use?

What is DE?