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

[jeapa]

I do a deep cleaning with the change in seasons so 3-4 times a year. I have poop boards though that I scoop 2-3 times a week as it just takes 5 minutes.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Full coop clean outs: I rake and sweep out bedding, and dump and refresh nest materials, twice a year, April and October. Though I plan on leaving the hemp that's under the roosts for a full year and see how that does. In addition, in October I take in a leaf blower, don as much protective covering as possible, and "dust" out the coop and vents.

I spot clean under roosts each morning, sifting poop out from the hemp to go into compost.

 

[Meri Maura]

Deep clean every 3-4 weeks

 

[3KillerBs]

Don't even ask what it's like in the 105F summer.

Sounds like an excellent reason to set up a system that only needs to be cleaned infrequently at a time when good weather can be expected.

 

[Pretty Birds]

I clean my coop as needed. It really depends on the season. In the late spring and summer the chickens spend most of their time outside, so I clean the coop every two weeks to a month. In the winter everything freezes, so I put a layer of shavings over the coop floor every week or so until there is a warm day to clean everything out. Once it starts to warm up but there is still snow outside I clean the coop about once a week since the chickens spend most of their time in the coop. The nesting boxes and underneath the roost are cleaned more frequently as needed.

 

[AntiqueB]

I scoop out poop daily, takes about 5 minutes. I add pine shavings, lime, and PDZ as needed. The bedding gets completely removed maybe twice a year.

I completely clean the run about 3-4 times a year, scraping everything out and replacing the rice hull bedding out there, on a base layer of lime and DE.

That said, they spend very little time in the coop and run, mainly only to sleep and have breakfast, before they are let out into the yard.

 

[Duckbreeder2020]

 

[SueT]

I have 2 small coops with PDZ on entire floor, it takes only seconds with the litter scoop to clean those daily. Big coop with PDZ on poop boards gets scooped daily, and shavings on floor get swept out about once a month. Currently there are 13 chickens.
I wear a dust mask for PDZ and shavings cleanings.

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

When I clean my chicken house I have to...
~Wear a mask
~Wear boots
~Wear glasses
~Turn on a fan
~Open the windows

Don't even ask what it's like in the 105F summer.

I'm soooo sorry.

 

[BDutch]

I clean the poop boards when its gets dirty or smelly and the weather is nice. If its a rainy period I might wait another week and just put an extra layer with shavings/leaves/grasses or mosses on top.

Because I have one side open in winter and even more in summer it rarely smells.

I rake the sand/lime floor every month/two months and make a new layer mixed with a little diatomaceous earth, every year or so?

The nestboxes get new hay about every two weeks and total cleaning about every 2 moths ( build up new sand, diatom earth, tabacco, shavings and hay ) .