Need suggestions for coop cleaning

[PoultryBird12]

Now I have to clean it again!!! It seems like I just did! For next time, I am going to try a better strategy than what I am doing now. Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Now I have to clean it again!!! It seems like I just did! For next time, I am going to try a better strategy than what I am doing now. Thanks for everyone's help!

What is your maintenance routine like? A little routine maintenance (10 minutes a day) goes a long way in making those big "cleanings" an annual event. Maybe if you share a bit more about the setup you have and your daily routine we can help you make your chickens more enjoyable and less work?

 

[bigmrg74]

Elbow grease works wonders on everything.

 

[PoultryBird12]

What is your maintenance routine like? A little routine maintenance (10 minutes a day) goes a long way in making those big "cleanings" an annual event. Maybe if you share a bit more about the setup you have and your daily routine we can help you make your chickens more enjoyable and less work?

Yeah. I've been thinking of spending about 10-15 minutes a day or every other day to muck it out. Right now, I just clean it out about once every week to two weeks. :|

 

[WthrLady]

10 minutes in the morning allows me to top food, change/ fill the water, scoop poop from the poop board, check the girls, open pop door and open the outdoor run, and walk the poo bucket to the compost pile.

On weekends I clean out the nest boxes, do any scraping that needs done, rake the run smooth clean straw,change floor litter, add de, and do a good check of the girls, and wash food and water dishes.

Every six months, spring and fall, clean everything, full muck out. Rake run out and replace mulches and floor litter. Full check of girls, maybe a bath. Fix anything on coop that's needing.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Yeah. I've been thinking of spending about 10-15 minutes a day or every other day to muck it out. Right now, I just clean it out about once every week to two weeks. :|

10 minutes a day will save you time in the long run - and give you a chance to spend 10 minutes a day with your birds (they are *so* much help with chores, lol) -- the amount of waste that can accumulate in just one week (let alone two) is simply unhealthy. With your situation where you are trying to house ducks and chickens together this is even more of an issue.
The actual "work" part of my time with the birds is about 5-10 minutes a day.....and it really doesn't feel like work because I enjoy spending that time in the coop. I do my work in the evening during the week and in the mornings on weekends. Daily chores for me are to clean the poop board, check/fill the feed and water stations and open/close the pop door. Weekends I add fresh litter to the floor (I use deep litter method), check the nest boxes and add fresh hay as needed (right now I am also having to check them daily to remove any waste as we have a couple of young pullets who think they want to live in there so the boxes are getting fouled), tidy the run/add some fresh mulch materiel and any other little here's or there's that arise.

 

[kenny nlouann1]

I have 6 hens,a rooster n 2 ducks n a 14×16 building n I built a yard around it 14×14 wit 4 12ft4×4 n some chicken wire.The building was brand new.I close the doors n the winter n cut a hole n 1 door n hung up a cloth to keep the wind out n it allows them to go n and out.Out side I have a pool for the ducks and a water basin for my chickens.I dug a trench from the pool to the outside that allows the ecscess water to run out n keep their lil yard dry as possible. This summer I plan on adding some extra things for the chickens like an old tire full of dirt for them to dust bathe n a roost outside too n Ima throw a old tarp I got over half the yard to provide shade.Any other ideas for there yard.I wanna make it as nice as possible for them.....Now the inside-I ain't know nuttin about a poop board n now that I read about it I think they done made their own.lol. I built a nesting spot along 1 wall wit just a piece of plywood laid flat laid on a couple 2×4 nailed to the wall,I built some sides n a front wit a 2×4 n threw some straw up n it.I did the same in the walk next to it.Well they all decide to sit n a row n pool n 1 n the other they jus tear the straw out.As I said earlier I guess 1 side is their poop board.Im new at this so I don't know what a poop board is.I do know they don't like my nesting spot I built for them n choose a spot on the floor to nest n lay instead.I also have a mirror I put in for them to see their self n I'll hang some cabbage up by a string every few weeks.They like that.I also run a few 2×4s up long ways to perch on.I also gotta water n food dish n there although they stratch all the food out on the floor.lol I use straw for the floor,cover the poop up when it gets bad n clean spots out when it gets too bad.You know wet or really stinking.Okay so there ya go....a run down on my chicken coop. Any suggestions on anything u should change or add?THANX

 

[kenny nlouann1]

And as far as the compost pile which with me is the really wet straw and everything in the coop including old food and poop when I clean it.Do I let them dig in that pile? I mean it'll have their own poop along with the ducks.Is that healthy for them?

 

[RonP]

My compost pile IS the run my chickens use outdoors.

They help in every way.

 

[blucoondawg]

If you have hay or straw bedding it is usually easier to clean out with a pitchfork than an shovel, shovel works good for wood chips but not so well for straw unless it's finely chopped. I just park my tractor front end loader, in your case a wheel barrow, against the door then shovel in all the waste and haul it into a pile somewhere, it's a pain in winter because everything freezes right away and accumulates until spring and I just keep adding more bedding over the winter as it gets dirty. Spring time cleaning can be a major core.