Official BYC Poll: How Often Do You Clean Your Coop?

[Toryhillc]

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It's not a pleasant part of keeping chickens, but it's one we must all deal with regardless: poop. How often do you clean your coop out? Don't include pens in your answer, just your coop or coops. Do you find it easy or difficult to clean them out? What changes to your coop design or technique would you make to improve the process?

(Check out more Official BYC Polls HERE!)

Deep clean once a month but daily house keeping every day. Like to keep the waterers clean and filled with fresh water and the boxes tidy and fresh. Most of my chickens roost in the summer but in the winter they sleep in their nesting boxes. I know alot of people don't agree with this but if I don't mind cleaning them daily thats all that matters. We live in northern Ontario Canada so winters can get -25 as a norm. Boxes are more cozy for them.

 

[VirginiaFarmerGirl]

I have never understood why it’s an issue for the chickens to sleep in their nesting boxes.I prefer them to. I used to clean the waters every other day but then we got ducks and they take mouth fulls of food and dump it in the water so now I clean it twice a day. Joys of a duck owner

 

[3KillerBs]

I have never understood why it’s an issue for the chickens to sleep in their nesting boxes

Because they poop while they sleep and the eggs get covered in poop.

The only time I ever have to clean my nest boxes is when an egg gets broken.

 

[Toryhillc]

I have never understood why it’s an issue for the chickens to sleep in their nesting boxes.I prefer them to. I used to clean the waters every other day but then we got ducks and they take mouth fulls of food and dump it in the water so now I clean it twice a day. Joys of a duck owner

I get my first ducks in 4 days. I can't wait to ha e 2 little Welsh Harlequins running around. Do you keep your chickens and ducks in one coop? (Once they get big enough of course) I am going to try it and see how they get along. We are going to build an addition to the run with a door between so they can get to know one another during the day for awhile.

 

[Toryhillc]

Because they poop while they sleep and the eggs get covered in poop.

The only time I ever have to clean my nest boxes is when an egg gets broken.

My eggs never have poop on them. I don't mind doing lite housekeeping everyday. I there anyways interacting with them. Now in the spring they are covered in mud when the girls free range. They love the puddles the silly .

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Because they poop while they sleep and the eggs get covered in poop.

The only time I ever have to clean my nest boxes is when an egg gets broken.

I used to have a prefab with roosts an inch off the floor. So they weren’t even off the floor with bedding. So of course the girls slept in the nesting boxes, or wherever they could possibly fit (again, pre-fabs)

The eggs were always covered in poop. They had to be washed every day, which was a pain.

Now I have a much bigger, adequate coop for my girls. The roost are high, coop is large, has lots of ventilation, etc, etc.

I added nesting box doors on the inside so that I could close them, otherwise, the chickens would sleep in them. I don’t always close them now, but if there’s an excess broody needing to be kept off the nests at night, new chicks being integrated (and need to be taught sleeping in the nest boxes is a no no)

Now I don’t have to clean the eggs at all when I’m cooking.

Only time I clean them is when I’m giving them to a neighbor.

Sorry about this ramble! But I do hate chickens sleeping in the nests... the nests are meant for laying eggs. Not poop!

Nesting box

 

[3KillerBs]

My eggs never have poop on them. I don't mind doing lite housekeeping everyday. I there anyways interacting with them. Now in the spring they are covered in mud when the girls free range. They love the puddles the silly .

My whole system is setup so that I don't have to do daily cleaning for anything.

 

[Ponypoor]

Seeing as how I have to clean horse stalls anyways, I just go ahead and 'muck out' the clucks also. Of course I only have 5 silkie type so they hardly make any mess at all

 

[Chuckie chicken]

I clean the poop boards every morning when I let the girls out and collect eggs. I find it strangely calming to scoop the poop and level out the pdz ... Kind of a cross between raking one of those little japanese gardens and driving a Tonka truck.

 

[Aapomp831]

Deep bedding method.... changed my life