newbie cleaning question

[leannajones]

hi all,

we have just got two chickens for the first time. they are in a mobile coop & run. the coop is designed for three birds and the run is around 6ft x 3ft. the coop sits within the run, above part of it. the coop has slats so that most poop falls down into the run. we move the run every day.

how often and what sort of cleaning do we need to do? there are blobs of poop on the slats, on the perches and on the ladder. so far they have not pooped in their nesting boxes at all. is it enough to just brush the poop off of everything so that it falls to the ground and is left behind when the coop moves daily? or do we need to disinfect everything too and if so how often?

thanks for your advice

 

[Judy]

Daily cleaning is a lot more than many people do. I see no reason to disinfect unless you have had a disease. There really isn't a standard; everyone does what works best for them, and probably what they tolerate.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Clean it when it gets dirty, remembering that "chicken dirty" is a lot different than "kitchen dirty."

I basically stir the shavings once a week, and remove only what gets wet or stinks. Older shavings might not look pretty like bright new shavings, but if they're dry, they stay. I only add new shavings once every 2 weeks in the winter and far less than that in the summer--maybe once a month, if that.

Clean nestboxes if/when there is poop in them. No need to take it all out; just pull out the poo and add extra bedding if necessary.

No need to disinfect anything unless you've had a disease, as Flockwatcher said. And poopy walls and perches--well, mine have poo on them, but I've never, ever cleaned them and have no plans to do so. The hens don't care, and they'll get dirty again within five minutes of washing them.

Chickens are easy--far less work than a dog, for instance--about as much work as a lizard.

 

[nab58]

I use an old kitchen spatula as a poop scraper, works great.

 

[OldGuy43]

OldGal says, "Use a large paint scraper."

So that's where my scraper went.

 

[chickendude9]

What i have to remember is that they are CHICKENS

. Chicken dont need a spotless environment. (i tend to clean more than is required ) But they do need it dry so i change mine outta the coop every couple weeks, mixing it up in between

 

[donrae]

I can't really help with the cleaning question as my set-up is very different, but just wanted to address something that jumped out at me about your space.

You say your coop is designed for three birds, but please don't try to put another one in there. The amount of space you're talking about, 18 square feet, it really pushing it for 2 grown birds. Three and you run a high risk of behavioral issues like pecking and cannibalism due to overcrowding.

It upsets me when those cute little coops are advertised as able to hold so many birds, when in reality the safe number is about half what they say.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I can't really help with the cleaning question as my set-up is very different, but just wanted to address something that jumped out at me about your space.

You say your coop is designed for three birds, but please don't try to put another one in there. The amount of space you're talking about, 18 square feet, it really pushing it for 2 grown birds. Three and you run a high risk of behavioral issues like pecking and cannibalism due to overcrowding.

It upsets me when those cute little coops are advertised as able to hold so many birds, when in reality the safe number is about half what they say.

donrae's right, make sure that your birds have plenty of room. Almost every behavior problem can be attributed to overcrowding. I also get annoyed at the cute little coops they sell, since they really can't hold very many birds and once you get chickens, you always want more, and "just one more" really can have a deleterious effect on your flock.

OldGal says, "Use a large paint scraper."

So that's where my scraper went.

 

[chickendude9]

OldGal says, "Use a large paint scraper."

So that's where my scraper went.

 

[mel81]

Can I ask you all a quick cleaning question. I am also a bit of a newbie. My run is quite large so can't be moved. The floor is dirt but we have had a lot of rain and the half that isn't covered is very wet. Also it's hard to scrape clean. Is there an easier way or can I put some bark chipping down? I wOndered if this would be easier to scrap up? Is it harm full?