Coop Cleaning in the winter

Chicken poop.  Also called doodoo, dane cook, crap, dookie, bomb and chicky-poo according to the algorithmic wizardry of the interwebs. Sorry #DaneCook, I have no idea why you are associated as chicken excrement, you rock, and thank goodness I have never referred to my wife as chicky poo.

The winter months don’t really affect our manure management regime (MMR) practice much, but as with all the farm chores, the cold wet weather tends to aggravate the situation.  Black Soldier Fly Larvae can play a role in a successful MMR - we’ll get to that in a minute.

Most of you are aware that it is beneficial to monitor your birds’ poop because it is a good indicator of your flock’s health.

Flock Health

Healthy chicken poop should be brownish, greenish, and have a cap of urates. It will be well-formed, with a somewhat firm consistency. Runny chicken poop is not always a reason to be concerned. Healthy chicken poop should not be sour-smelling, and there should be no visible parasites or worms. Drastic changes in color, consistency, or amount could be an indicator something is amiss.

Cleaning

A clean coop is essential for preventing the spread of diseases and parasites within the flock, reducing the smell associated with poop and keeping those eggs nice and clean.  We use a hybrid of deep litter and traditional cleaning method.

The deep litter method is clean, sanitary and remarkably, does not smell too bad.  It helps to insulate the coop, making it warmer in the winter, saves time/money and results in awesome compost. 

Scratching through the substrate gives the chickens something to do in the winter when they’re contained by providing an environment of natural stimulation and enrichment.  This is where Black Soldier Fly Larvae come into play, but more on that in a bit.

The deep litter method consists of starting with a few inches of litter on the chicken coop floor. When the chickens deposit their waste into it, the litter is stirred up and more litter is added on top. The litter is naturally turned by the chickens clawing through it, and if they need a little help with the turning, do it manually.

There are a few key notes to follow – you should not just cover the poop:

1. Start with a clean coop.
2. Pick the correct substrate/litter.
3. Keep it deep and fluffy.

Clean and disinfect.  We use straight vinegar and elbow grease. Below we will go a little bit into perch specific designs that can make spot-cleaning a bit easier.

The correct substrate is critical.  We use pine shavings and straw while avoiding sand, cedar and material with high moisture content such as large quantities of fresh cut grass.  It must be carbon-based for the microorganisms to take hold. Avoid Diatomaceous Earth placed directly in the deep litter.  Placement outside is good, but it tends to dry out the deep litter bed.  We want a consistent moisture content - not glistening, but not dusty.  Your birds will provide the adequate amount of moisture naturally.  The carbon-based litter is a perfect complement to the nitrogen rich Chicky-poo.

(Deep and fluffy.  Three words that could, in theory, provide hours of socially inappropriate banter amongst long-toothed Veterans.  I would ask the reader to silently note we did not go down that road).

Start with 3-4 inches and add as it starts to settle.  Your birds will provide the fluffing part, but …and here it is… can be encouraged by tossing in a few handfuls of Black Soldier fly Larvae onto the litter every day.  Don’t scrape that top layer off.  If it gets a bit fecal-ladened or the ammonia smell is detectable, manually mix it and add a bit more litter.  Put more BSFL in the spots that your chickens are not foraging in.  When the litter gets above ten inches or so, it’s time to remove some.  We totally swap out about every six months and try to time it toward the middle of the cycle being during the colder months because the deep litter method will produce some heat.

Start clean and dry, have adequate ventilation, try to maintain 1 bird for 3-4 square ft, monitor for moisture and aerate - now you are deep littering.

Ultimately, a lot of waste accumulates under the roost.  We use a poop chute like the one below, but the covered poop board works.  Remember that this waste needs to hang out a bit before application as fertilizer because it is too hot at first.

BSFL from Egg Brigade are an excellent source of protein, fats and essential minerals harvested in the United States under strict quality-controlled environments. Available as a single purchase or ongoing subscription, we offer 1lb, 2lb, 5lb, and 10lb options to accommodate any short / long diet plan, as well as any contingency preparations or wintertime needs.

We would love to see what other Winter DIY ideas you come up with to keep your coop clean in the winter! Let us know in the comments.