My chicken coop has been in need of attention lately. I was planning on doing the deep litter method but the smell was just too much for me to handle until spring. I spent a few hours dinking around and cleaning in the coop today and it felt very good to get it all done.
That 2X4 that boxes in the nest boxes was not there before. I had a large rubbermaid tote on the very top shelf where the food bucket is now that my chickens laid in.
So I stuck that up today so much chickens can actually use the nest boxes my husband made them this spring.
I have had their water up there because that is where they like to roost and hang out and its warm up there especially with the red heat lamp constantly on. The water doesn’t freeze as often, I don’t feel like buying a water heater so its worth only having to chip ice when it’s below zero outside.
We have a ton of mice mooching off the layer pellets so I figured it couldn’t hurt to put the food up there by the water. I really need to build them a ramp up there but it works for now. Good exercise 
I also made them a dust bath today! I have been wanting to and was planning on putting it in a cat litter box but I saw this large rubber bowl at the feed store and thought it was the perfect size and only 12.00, virtually indestructible as well. 
I used two small bags of peat moss and a small bag of fine sand. They LOVE IT. It took a while for them to figure out what it was but now they fight to get into it.
This is my little buff Orpington who has to be as close to me as possible. I have stepped on her a few times because she is ALWAYS right in front of me. I had NO clue how much personality chickens could have until I got this chicken. She is too funny!
The floor was pretty gross from the poo after i shoveled all the old straw out so I put several cupfuls of baking soda down and it REALLY made it smell fabulous in there.
Because of all the snow and how difficult using a wheelbarrow would be to haul off straw to my compost pile (which is covered in snow anyways) I figured I would throw the straw out in the fenced in area. The snow was about a foot tall in most places out there so I shoveled it all out and shoveled the old straw out there. The chickens were in hog heaven scratching around in it. They really don’t like snow so it tripled the area they meander in.
My chickens are so happy.
Aw that sucks you couldn’t do the deep litter method! I’m doing the deep litter method with my coop – it seems to be working so far with minimal smell. I keep the pine shavings at 6 inches, flipping the litter around every other day. In between I add in some Sweet PDZ which is a horse stall freshener that can also be used for chicken coops. It helps cut down the ammonia smell and is a natural mineral so it won’t hurt the birds!
My birds are helping to turn it themselves too when they go in for their nesting boxes or at night to sleep since they turf it up getting on the roosts. It’ll be nice to add all that right to the garden come spring!
It sounds like a good thing! I’ve heard of that stall stuff before! I will have to call the local feeds stores to see if I can find it locally! Got to love a clean smelling coop!!
do you like the pine shavings? Seems like it would be more expensive, guess that depends on where you live. Straw is 15.00 a bale here! So crazy!!!! But one bale is perfect for my 7×7 coop.
Thanks!
I do like the pine shavings. It would be cheaper to use hay – I can get bales for under $5 per – but it’s a pain to get them since I have to take the truck and go out of my way for them. I could not imagine paying $15 for a bale of hay! Eek. Pine shavings are right up the hill from my work so the ease of purchasing helps. Once i’ve got the litter built up, it’s only about $5 per month to add in another bag and build it back up to the 6 inches.
Its not even hay, its straw I pay 15.00 for! haha Hay is about 30.00 a bale here!
holy bejeezus! I’m glad I can get away with the $5 bales!