Coop Maintenance

[Ahernaa8045]

Hi everyone! I’m new to this community of owning chickens, and I wanted to know what everyone thinks is the best method for coop maintenance. I had heard that people use coarse washed construction sand (river sand or bank sand) in the coop and run, which makes for easy poop clean up. People who use that then use a scooper to scope the poop as you would a litter box. However, this is my first time hearing about it. I would love to keep my chicken coop as clean as possible, so I wanted to know if other people have tried this before. I’m wondering whether the sand would be dangerous for the chickens if they were to pick at it a bit and eat some of the sand.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Hi everyone! I’m new to this community of owning chickens, and I wanted to know what everyone thinks is the best method for coop maintenance. I had heard that people use coarse washed construction sand (river sand or bank sand) in the coop and run, which makes for easy poop clean up. People who use that then use a scooper to scope the poop as you would a litter box. However, this is my first time hearing about it. I would love to keep my chicken coop as clean as possible, so I wanted to know if other people have tried this before. I’m wondering whether the sand would be dangerous for the chickens if they were to pick at it a bit and eat some of the sand.

Welcome!!

What is your setup like (maybe post pics)? What size coop & run? Is it well-ventilated? Do you have a poop shelf in the coop? How many chickens? Where do you live/climate? Answers to these questions will help to figure out what litter will work best for your situation.

Sand will not hurt the chickens if they eat it. They eat dirt/grit to help them digest the things they eat.

 

[Bananabread]

Pics would definitely help. I used to use pine shavings in the coop, deep bedding method. Have switched over to hemp and haven't looked back. @3KillerBs has a good article on it.

Using Deep Bedding in a Small Coop

When first reading about chicken keeping a new chicken owner is certain to hear many claims that a particular method is the Absolute Ultimate in good chicken care. One of these methods is Deep Bedding. What is Deep Bedding? How is it different from Deep Litter? Why should you choose this...

• 3KillerBs
• Feb 24, 2021
• 4.97 star(s) 33 ratings
• Comments: 44
• Reviews: 25
• Category: Housing & Feeding Your Flock

 

[DobieLover]

Having a walk-in style coop with poop boards and a large predator proof attached run makes chicken keeping very easy.
I've read many threads where people used sand for coop bedding and in the run and when it gets wet it stinks to high heaven. You just cannot get ALL the poopicles out of the substrate so whatever you use, it needs to dry out the poop until it can be removed and then break down the rest.
I use zeolite (Sweet PDZ or stall fresh - granular forms only) on poop boards with pine shavings for bedding in the coop and a thick layer of wood chips in the run that has a solid roof on it to keep it dry. I spend no more than 10 minutes doing morning chores which include scooping the poop off the boards into an old kitty litter bucket then feeding and watering the flock. The vast majority of the nightly poop load is removed from the coop this way. The rest slowly cold composts in the run where the chickens scratch up the wood chips and soil and mix everything together.

 

[3KillerBs]

Hi everyone! I’m new to this community of owning chickens, and I wanted to know what everyone thinks is the best method for coop maintenance. I had heard that people use coarse washed construction sand (river sand or bank sand) in the coop and run, which makes for easy poop clean up. People who use that then use a scooper to scope the poop as you would a litter box. However, this is my first time hearing about it. I would love to keep my chicken coop as clean as possible, so I wanted to know if other people have tried this before. I’m wondering whether the sand would be dangerous for the chickens if they were to pick at it a bit and eat some of the sand.

People who are happy with sand over the long term -- that is, for years rather than months -- almost always live in a dry climate and have personalities compatible with the need to clean daily.

As you see in the article linked above, that's not for me at all.

 

[Lor]

We've been using sand in our coop and covered run for the 5-6 years we've had chickens.
Scooping the poop is easy enough with a long handled cat litter scoop. Once a month we sprinkle Sweet PDZ over the sand and rake it in. Occasionally more sand needs to be added.

With the covered run only the sides get a bit wet when it rains (what may blow inside).
Coop isn't a walk in. It's raised off the ground.

Sand gets everywhere, LOL. In my shoes, on my arms and clothing.
It's up to you which way you go.

 

[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.
- Large flake 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 9 years.

 

[Captain13]

I have sand in the run and coop. My run isn’t covered. 5 minutes in the morning to clean up the coop and run. I don’t mind because it gives me a chance to go in early and check on the girls, give them a good back rub, scoop the poop and move on. No smell but once a week I add a cup of PDZ that the girls gladly mix into the sand for me.

 

[Sally PB]

I have a set up very similar to what DobieLover and Aart have described. It has worked very well for 3 years, and I don't see any need to change it.

I added the poop tray after I'd had chickens for about 6 months. It was a game changer. The pine shavings in the coop stayed cleaner, the morning clean up went from about 5 minutes to about 2.

 

[Ahernaa8045]

I have sand in the run and coop. My run isn’t covered. 5 minutes in the morning to clean up the coop and run. I don’t mind because it gives me a chance to go in early and check on the girls, give them a good back rub, scoop the poop and move on. No smell but once a week I add a cup of PDZ that the girls gladly mix into the sand for me.

Hi! Is sweet pdz the same as first Saturday lime? Would that be something I can use instead pdz?