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

[Toku]

Whenever it needs it. I probably do a more thorough cleaning/inspection once a month since I've experienced having northern fowl mites a couple of years ago, which was such an ordeal. I eventually figured out how to knock them out, but that experience has me on the lookout for any pests like that!

 

[Melko]

When I had them on sand, Every few weeks. Place would reek.
On wood shavings/horse bedding? Never. It's just not needed.

 

[A Swede in France]

I find that picking up poop regularly, maybe every second day, means I don't have to deep clean very often at all, so that's what I do. I weirdly enjoy it, it feels like a sweet act of care and love for the gang I use hemp litter which I find great at absorbing liquids, neutralising smells, and being easy to clean. I have a silkie who sleeps in a nesting box so I check that every day and remove any droppings since I don't like poopy eggs.

I would change to a walk-in coop! I thought we'd have like 4 chickens so we built for that. Then chicken maths happened so we have 15 and extended the structure without changing the fundamentals, so it can be hard to access Adobe corners and to really clean I have to step into quite an awkward space after first lifting out some of the roosting bars.

They never hang out inside the coop so cleaning below the roosts goes a long way and is quick and easy.

 

[jlogsdon92]

We clean ours about once every 6 months, we use the deep litter method. It does get scooped when its bad, and stirred weekly. We also use the compost in my garden. Its now under a lot of dirt. The picture is for reference.

 

[MamaThomashaw]

View attachment 2583103​

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 never clean my coop bc every week or so I move it about the yard for them to get fresh grass. By the time we get back to where it was months have passed and The beautiful ecosystem has cleared everything and regrown clean grass.

 

[GeneralPublic]

View attachment 2583103​

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 use the deep litter method with additional litter and diatomaceous earth as needed and a total replacement every 6 months. It is a small flock of 8 Cochins that are about a year old. I’m getting an average of about two dozen eggs a week.

 

[Kattzombiee]

This definitely depends on the season for us. During the winter, all my chickens are kept in the coop at night and I clean weekly to every other week. I like to keep it maintained since they're in it every night, but I don't clean it daily so it stays nice and warm - lol. Once it warms up though my brats refuse to sleep in the coop since florida is hot and humid. They all roost in the roof section of their giant pen (which we've ensured is good and secure for them to do so) and the coop stays much cleaner. I move on to monthly or less often cleanings at that point.

 

[Kanga78070]

I have a small coop so I clean it every week, soon I will be getting a bigger one and then I will change that depending on the need. During the winter I don’t clean as often

 

[Primdaisy]

I do deep litter, but we installed a sh** shelf, so it all falls there. I clean the poop every 2-3 days, right now. I only have ten chickens roosting now, but when my 10 new babies are of age and roosting, I plan on cleaning it daily. They don’t use the coop during the day, only to lay eggs, so the bedding gets changed twice a year, when I change the pine chips and sprinkle every thing with FSL.

 

[kwashinger]

I clean the coop every 2-4 weeks depending on how many chickens I have and the weather.

I deep clean the run twice a year.