General cleanup and disease protection.

[cscigu]

I've been lax at cleaning coops due to family sickness/death over the last several weeks. Been on the road back and forth constantly to the elderly in-laws, and various other needs.

If a few days I hope conditions allow me to cleanout, sanitize a bit, and replace nest box straw, etc.

Typically, I wait for a warm day, shovel and scoop. Then, spray around a bleach/water mix, and wrap up by flinging some lime to dust up the place. The chickens are only in the coops at night, and run the pastures during days.

Just wondering if others have some simple product ideas I've missed. I'm committed to just the basics, obviously.

 

[Kiki]

I have never used bleach or any other cleaner in my coop besides a broom.

 

[LaFleche]

I've been lax at cleaning coops due to family sickness/death over the last several weeks. Been on the road back and forth constantly to the elderly in-laws, and various other needs.

If a few days I hope conditions allow me to cleanout, sanitize a bit, and replace nest box straw, etc.

Typically, I wait for a warm day, shovel and scoop. Then, spray around a bleach/water mix, and wrap up by flinging some lime to dust up the place. The chickens are only in the coops at night, and run the pastures during days.

Just wondering if others have some simple product ideas I've missed. I'm committed to just the basics, obviously.

You can switch from straw to soft wood shavings which will reduce smell and hiding space for parasites.

I never use bleach or similar in my coops.

 

[Ridgerunner]

@Kiki maybe not in the coop but I do use bleach to wash chicken and dog water bowls when they start to turn green from algae. I dump those water bowls regularly so bad things don't grow but I just don't feel right letting algae grow on them.

@cscigu we all keep chickens in different facilities and use different management techniques. We have different experiences. I do not have a history of diseases or parasites so all I do is keep the 8 feet x 12 feet coop dry and clean my droppings board when the poop starts to pile up so it doesn't stay wet and start to stink. I find if I keep my coop dry and don't let the poop pile up I don't have a need to do anything else. I shovel it out every two to three years, not because I need to but because i want that stuff on my garden. I should do that every fall for the garden's sake but I don't.

I clean out my nests after a broody hatch or if an egg breaks in it. Mine do not sleep in the nests so I don't have to worry about poop in the nest. Other than that I only add bedding in the nests when what I have in there wears out.

Many people on this forum do a lot more than I do. Some of that is based on their experiences that suggest it is a good idea for them. Some people do it because somebody told them they should. Some put all kinds of different things in the coop, the feed, or in the water. I get a kick when I read about people putting herbs in the coop for aroma therapy, for example. These are their chickens and they can do what they want. I don't consider it my business but if I see them doing something that I think is a danger to the chickens I'll say something. I do not see anything dangerous in what you are doing.

My chickens only go in the coop to lay eggs, to sleep, and occasionally get out of the weather. They don't mess it up much except for the poop they drop at night while on the roosts so I don't see the need for much cleaning. Some people need to do a lot more because their situation is different.