Spring cleaning: How to clean out the run?

[SC_Hugh]

Today, I removed 8" of wood shavings (9 months worth) from the coop and replaced it with 3-4" of fresh clean shavings, that was too easy.

Any tips on cleaning my 60 sq ft chicken run? I have a completely covered run with naturally sandy soil.

Our horse manure rake will not work, so I am wondering what other people are using. Maybe a plastic leaf rake? I have a metal leaf rake, but it doesn't do the trick.

Thanks,

Hugh

 

[Zahboo]

I would see if you can get a sifter screen (don't know official term) You could even make your own for cheap.

 

[breezy]

Dont know if this is advised or not but.. What I did is to rake up all the straw I had in the run. I put it into the bottom of the new vegetable bed Im building. Going to put 3 yards of planter mix on top of it. I rototilled up all the dirt in the run and let it sit till it was dry then did it again 2 more times. It stank the first 2 times i turned over all the dirt but only for a day or so. I just kep turning the dirt till the run was dry and odor free. Im going to turn it one more time tomorow add a bunch of DE on the dirt then fill the run with clean straw. I dont have flies I dont have odor and my chooks are all parasite free in good feather and fat and healthy.

Of course I only have 4 hens and a 10 by 10 run for them so its not like a huge undertaking to do this. Hope it works for you as well as it has for me if you decide to try it this way

 

[trilyn]

If you can get your hands on some 1/2" expanded metal-Lowe's, Home Depot in the HVAC/Plumbing section. If they don't have it in stock, then go to your local sheetmetal shop. They'll be glad to sell you a piece. Make your own sifter with the 1/2" expanded metal and a wooden frame or you could even place the expanded metal over the apple picker(manure fork) and use zip ties or duct tape to secure it well. This will allow you to sift through the sand and remove the poops fairly easily. I'm fortunate that both my dh and I work at a sheetmetal shop, so I was able to make my own sifter out of expanded metal and a sheetmetal frame with conduit handle. It looks like a huge dustpan but with the expanded metal instead of a solid bottom. Works great!!

 

[SC_Hugh]

Thanks for the advice, I will be on the look out for some expanded metal, I know they sell it somewhere in town.

Should I sprinkle DE in the run and coop?

--Hugh

 

[Badlatitude]

If you want to make a drop screener you can use welded wire (1/2 in id assume one woudl want as to not screen out gravel) streched tight on a frame made of some 2x4s. Be sure to angle it slightly so that larger rocks and junk roll down the front and the clean sand and dirt goes thru the screen.

I just rake my run tho .. then I put done some fresh sand and gravel

Food grade DE couldnt hurt. Especially if it hasnt been cleaned in a long time.