How to Clean Chicken Coops
Cleaning the coop is an important part of ensuring happy and healthy chickens. A clean environment allows an optimum atmosphere for good egg production. A little bleach and dishwashing liquid will disinfect even the grungiest coop. Reserve a few hours twice a year to clean a chicken coop from top to bottom. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Gloves
- Safety glasses
- Garden rake
- Garden shovel
- Compost barrel
- Wood shavings
- Long-handled scrub brush
- Small scrub brush
- Bucket
- Garden hose
- Chlorine bleach
- Mild dishwashing detergent
Instructions
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1
Move the chickens out from the coop and begin raking the soiled wood shavings into piles. Use a small garden shovel to scoop the piles into a rubber compost barrel. Empty the nesting box of all soiled material as well.
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2
Remove the feeders and waterers and empty them. Soak them in a mixture of 1/2 cup chlorine bleach and 1/4 cup mild dishwashing detergent in a bucket of warm water. Wash them thoroughly with a small scrub brush and rinse well with a garden hose. Set them aside to air dry.
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3
Use the bleach, detergent and water mixture to scrub the chicken wire, nesting box, ramps and perches. Rinse them well with the garden hose and allow them an hour or two to dry.
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4
Replace the wood shaving bedding with a new 2-inch layer. Refill and replace all waterers and feeders. Allow the chickens back into the coop.
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Tips & Warnings
Replace the wood shavings once a month to make the semi-annual cleaning easier. Demesne.info offers tips for designing the perfect chicken coop.
Wear gloves and safety glasses to avoid contact with both ammonia and bleach. The compost will emit a strong ammonia odor.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit teamsamargia; Photobucket.com
