Question about cleaning bedding in the coop

[NNYchick]

I take a old dust pan and a paint scrapper and scrap up any poop that is on roosting areas. Since my silkies don't roost on a roosting bar they use tree stumps that is where the most poop collects and I remove it in the morning. If they would act like normal chickens and use a roost bar and roost all in the same place I would have a poop board under it filled with PDZ and scoop that. For the floor I keep a deep layer (6-12 inches) of litter (pine shavings, very little bit of chopped straw, dried leaves and grass clippings, sprinkle of sweet PDZ every now and them in the winter. The chickens mostly rototill it (excise and mental stimulation for them) but I take a garden hoe every couple of days to turn it making sure to get the areas the chickens haven't turned well. The poop dries out and composts. I remove any damp bedding from rain or snow blowing in during a storm but that is very rare. About once a month I top off with a thin layer of new shavings. I never fully remove all the bedding in the spring I take some out as it gets too deep. I have not had any issues with smells or flies.

 

[Fluttershy17]

Looks like I’ll be installing poop boards! My chicks sleep in the bedding sometimes, and other times they prefer the roost. I appreciate everyone’s advice!

 

[aart]

What kind of bedding you use may depend on how you manage the manure.
This is about cleaning, but covers my big picture

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.

-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.

-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.

- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.

-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 5 years.

 

[IamRainey]

It rains alot here, water wicks into their CH which is hard clay dirt, IF the shavings get soaked, I rake it out, dry on a tarp in the patio with fans, add more shavings in the CH ... I do reuse the dried stuff back into the CH or use as mulch in the yard.

I ALWAYS forget to add that I live in a dry climate. And that makes all the difference!

 

[shaw613]

I have placed rubber boot trays under the roost... Easy to pick up and d ump into my manure spreader. Very happy with them and inexpensive.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

I have placed rubber boot trays under the roost... Easy to pick up and d ump into my manure spreader. Very happy with them and inexpensive.

What a great idea!

 

[Steven Bussell]

My ducks like sleeping in the chicken coop .so poop boards don't save me much work.
So I just throw all pine shavings on my hillside, scrub vinyl floor and walls.
New shavings once very 3 to 4 weeks.