Keeping Your Chicken Coop Clean and Healthy

When you have backyard chickens, keeping their coop clean is essential to their health and wellbeing. A dirty coop can harbor bacteria, parasites, and viruses that make chickens sick. But with some basic cleaning supplies and a little elbow grease, you can keep your feathered friends happy in a fresh, sanitized home.

Why Keep the Coop Clean?

A clean coop prevents illness. Ammonia from droppings, dampness, muddy floors, and built-up debris are breeding grounds for pathogens. Salmonella, infectious bronchitis, parasites, and fungal infections can quickly spread in unclean conditions.

Good hygiene deters pests. Flies, mites, rats, and wild birds are attracted to mess and can transmit diseases. A clean, well-kept coop doesn’t welcome these harmful carriers.

Your chickens will be healthier and more comfortable. Chickens like clean living spaces and will naturally keep their nesting boxes tidy. Still, they need your help to sanitize the larger coop area where pathogens lurk. Healthy chickens lay more abundantly and live longer, happier lives.

When to Clean the Chicken Coop

Thoroughly clean and disinfect the coop between flocks. Once your new chicks move in, aim to clean the coop every 2-3 months. Spot clean daily by removing soiled bedding, cleaning feeders and waters, and picking up waste.

Here’s a cleaning checklist by season:

Spring:

• Clear winter debris, cobwebs, and dust buildup
• Wash feeders, waters, and other accessories
• Replace nest box bedding
• Apply fresh litter or loose substrate to absorb moisture

Summer:

• Remove soiled litter frequently in hot weather
• Scrub waterers to prevent algae and biofilm
• Check for mites, fleas, and other pests
• Improve ventilation and air quality where needed

Fall:

• Seal any gaps or openings where rodents could enter
• Clear plants or overhangs that allow wild birds to roost overnight
• Install ventilation improvements before colder weather sets in

Winter:

• Shovel deep litter frequently on rainy or snowy days
• Ensure coop ventilation prevents condensation and moisture
• Monitor for frostbite on combs and wattles

Supplies You’ll Need

Gather these supplies to make cleaning efficient:

• Scoop or shovel: for removing soiled litter
• Rake: levels out clean litter or substrate after scooping
• Bucket: for catching loose poop and debris
• Broom & dustpan: sweeps up leftover bits
• Garden hose or pressure washer: outdoors only to rinse surfaces
• Scrub brushes: for tougher gunk like algae in waterers
• All-purpose cleaner: dish soap, citrus cleaner, or other degreaser
• Disinfectant: 10% bleach solution, virucide, medicated shavings
• Gloves and mask: for safe handling of chemicals and dust
• Rags, sponges, paper towels: wash and reuse or compost after
• Rodent bait, traps, deterrents: keep pests away

Cleaning Step by Step

Ready to tackle that chicken coop cleaning? Follow these steps:

1. Remove everything from the run and coop. Take out feeders, waters, nest boxes, roosts, toys, and bedding. Having an empty space lets you scrub every surface.
2. Dry clean the interior. Sweep floors, scrape surfaces with a hoe or shovel to remove caked litter and debris. Use a broom, rake, dustpan and bucket to gather up loose poop, feathers, and dirt.
3. Pre-soak messy areas. Fill a bucket with hot water, add a bit of mild dish soap or degreaser, and let it sit on extra grimy areas for 10-15 minutes to soften gunk. This helps avoid excessive water use later.
4. Rinse the coop with a hose or pressure washer. Focus the strongest spray on the floor and corners where months of muck accumulate. Avoid electrical outlets and wiring. Rinse soap residue thoroughly.
5. Let everything dry out completely. This may take 1-2 days depending on weather and ventilation. Drying fully kills bacteria and lets you assess remaining mess.
6. Make repairs before returning items to the coop. Fix holes, cracks, roosts, and hardware. Ensure good ventilation and drainage.
7. Apply disinfectant to all surfaces. Use the bleach solution, commercial virucide, or medicated shavings as directed on packaging. Be sure to get corners, cracks, and crevices. Let disinfectant soak 10+ minutes.
8. Rinse again and allow to fully dry if indicated on your disinfectant label. Improper rinsing can corrode metal or degrade wood over time.
9. Add fresh litter or substrate. Wood shavings, straw, hemp, sand, or pelletized litter soaks up future moisture. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth to deter ants.
10. Return all cleaned accessories to the coop. Refill feeders and waters. Don’t let chickens access the coop for at least an hour, or until there is no harsh pool or odor remaining.

Disposing of Old Litter Properly

Don’t dump soiled coop litter in compost piles meant for food scraps or gardens. Chicken manure carries pathogens that can persist and spread disease. Instead:

Spread litter thinly over pastures, rotating location annually. Manure adds nutrients back into grassland soil.

Compost litter safely using sustained high heat in closed bins, or very slow cold composting over 2 years. Monitor internal temperatures.

Bag litter securely before putting out for trash collectors. Chicken manure should never contaminate water sources or community compost piles.

When Chicken Poop Overwhelms

As the deep litter method builds up over months, ammonia from waste can overwhelm, especially in hot weather. Here’s how to reset the system:

Spot clean damp litter daily during summer heat waves. Removing fresh poop prevents harmful ammonia release.

Sprinkle diatomaceous earth or baking soda to reduce odor and moisture. Both absorb excess liquids in the litter.

Let the coop air out fully between cleanings. Open windows, run fans, shut the chickens out of the coop for a few days at a time. Airflow reduces ammonia gases.

Add new carbon materials to balance nitrogen. Mixing straw, shredded paper, or wood chips creates more airflow and pockets for waste absorption.

Remove litter fully between flocks or annually. A full changeout lets you start fresh minimizing build up of bacteria and fungi over time.

Creating a Cleaning Routine

Building a regular cleaning routine makes the process faster and prevents any one chore from becoming overwhelming. Here’s one example:

Daily: Spend 5-10 minutes “tidying” the coop interior. Scoop wet litter, remove waste, refill feed, check supplies.

Weekly: Wash all feeders and waterers with soap scrub brushes. Level litter, sprinkle diatomaceous earth for insects.

Monthly: Replace nest box bedding, sweep floors and perches, clean dust and cobwebs from corners.

Every 2-3 Months: Full coop cleanout. Pressure wash or disinfect all surfaces, remove/replace litter, address repairs.

Annually: Break down, pressure wash, and thoroughly disinfect any wood constructions before rebuilding.

Staying Ahead of Messes

By tackling dirty chores proactively, you prevent real headache-inducing issues from ever taking hold. Here are some easy ways to stay ahead:

Check litter moisture daily. Scoop out damp litter immediately to prevent ammonia odor.

Install handy poop trays under roosts. They simplify nightly droppings removal without full litter changes.

Use litter amendments preventively. Sprinkle baking soda or diatomaceous earth before moist areas form.

Always remove waste that sticks to surfaces right away. Droppings that get smashed, smeared, or buried quickly raise bacteria counts.

Set reminders to wash feeders and check for parasites during warm seasons when risk increases. An ounce of prevention!

Building Conditions Chickens Thrive In

With regular cleaning, you can provide an environment where chickens stay healthy naturally. Ensure you have these fundamentals covered:

Dry Litter: Litter should remain loose and crumbly. Damp litter breeds parasites and pathogens.

Good Ventilation: Stale ammonia gases are tough on chicken respiratory systems. Ensure fresh airflow.

Dust Control: From litter, feathers, and dander. Routinely sweep dust into the waste stream.

Secure Housing: Rodent/wild bird proof any access points. Don’t give pests overnight shelter.

Sunlight Exposure: Ultraviolet rays naturally neutralize viruses and germs. Let sunlight into dim corners.

Proper Density: Adhere to recommended space per bird. Overcrowding causes sanitation problems.

With a regular cleaning routine, attentiveness to building issues, daily tidying, and seasonal deep cleaning, you can keep your flock healthy and comfortable as they entertain you with their antics! Staying on top of scooping, sweeping small messes, and responding promptly when litter gets damp are secrets to avoiding major coop headaches. Building good habitat stewardship habits from the start creates less work over time.