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

[Soujrnr]

We are super new to chicken ownership. We've had our five girls now for only eight days, so we haven't figured out how often we need to do it. We are using the deep bedding method and from what I can gather, we should only need to do a deep clean about twice a year.

 

[Muzical2u]

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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!)

I clean the coop about every two days. In this heat, the smell draws a lot of flies. I clean the run/pen once a week. If it rains, I clean it when it stops raining. I’m a clean freak and the chickens are free range. It’s difficult for them to find bugs in a clean yard.

 

[Muzical2u]

Mostly, for my tiny flock, when it needs it. The coop itself has a poop tray, and I usually use a kitty litter scoop and remove the poop every other day. You know, the poop is REAL. As for the run area, if I'm deep littering then it would be somewhere between 3-6 months with maintenance as needed. If I'm not, then it's probably once a week or so.

What do you layer your poop tray with, so that the litter scoop works?. I use pine shavings and the scoop does not work.

 

[Ponypoor]

What do you layer your poop tray with, so that the litter scoop works?. I use pine shavings and the scoop does not work.

I use shavings also, I have a manure fork I use when cleaning the horses stalls, I also use that to pick poops from the Hen House; I can also take it around so that poops show better, and pick those up.

My gang roosts on a ledge that is 13” wide, I clean poops off that daily and re-bed with a layer of shavings. I had regular roosts but they all had such bedtime drama that I got rid of them and put in the ledge that wraps around the Hen House. No more drama!

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

I clean out twice a year, more often if it needs it. In between I keep adding wood shavings and charcoal and mixing it all up. Every spring I pressure wash it and limewash it. Nest boxes get cleaned much more often though! Every week or two.

 

[Skyewatcher]

We have 1/4" hardware cloth for the floor of the coops so whatever doesn't fall thru I use a flathead shovel and clean out whenever it's needed. I put the in a bucket that gets tossed into the compost. Our poor fruit trees that are in the same area as the chickens are unfortunately suffering badly, fresh is Hot and we should've treated our trees last year but hope it can get it done this summer- the trees are loaded with fruit this year.

 

[Cryss]

What do you layer your poop tray with, so that the litter scoop works?. I use pine shavings and the scoop does not work.

PDZ is great on a poop board. It sifts like sand and absorbs odors and moisture.
PS: it is sold for use in horse stalls but is great for chickens too.

 

[Muzical2u]

We have 1/4" hardware cloth for the floor of the coops so whatever doesn't fall thru I use a flathead shovel and clean out whenever it's needed. I put the in a bucket that gets tossed into the compost. Our poor fruit trees that are in the same area as the chickens are unfortunately suffering badly, fresh is Hot and we should've treated our trees last year but hope it can get it done this summer- the trees are loaded with fruit this year.

Do the chickens get their feet caught in the wire?

 

[Muzical2u]

PDZ is great on a poop board. It sifts like sand and absorbs odors and moisture.
PS: it is sold for use in horse stalls but is great for chickens too.

I will look for it tomorrow. Thank you so much!

 

[Skyewatcher]

Do the chickens get their feet caught in the wire?

We haven't had any problems with their toes or feet getting caught. It's the smallest hardware cloth quarter of an inch.