Keeping your coop fresh and clean is vital for your hens health! It’s really not that hard to do and can make a world of difference when caring for your chickens.

I like to use all natural products when cleaning the coop.

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

Gloves always, mask if needed.

Rake/Broom/Shovel- depending on what you’re cleaning.

Cleaning Brush

Natural Coop Spray- HERE

First Saturday Lime- read more about it HERE

Pine Shavings

Nesting Box Pads

A small tarp, or bag. ( It’s nice to have this laying on the ground outside the coop and you can just brush the old shavings onto it. Then just move it to your compost pile.

HOW TO CLEAN THE COOP

1.) First, remove all the old pine shavings, cobwebs, dirt, etc out. Try to really get it out of all the nooks and crannies.

2.) Scrape up or hose off any hard to lift dried up spots. Use a shovel for those hard areas.

3.) Remove any dropping from roost bars or near nesting boxes.

4.) Next spray the whole thing down with the Natural Coop Spray. This is vinegar and lemon essential oil and it will really help disinfect your coop. Spray the floor, bars, nesting boxes, walls, EVERYTHING! You can’t hurt it by spraying.

5.) Open up the door and window and let it air out.

6.) Spread First Saturday Lime all over your coop. I do it all over the floor so it is mostly covered in a fine layer and looks white. Sprinkle in the corners as well as the nesting boxes and coop surroundings.

7.) Spread a nice layer of pine shavings on the floor of the coop. I do a whole bag of the pine shavings which ends up being about 3 inches or so.

8.) Replace nest pads in boxes or fill with pine shavings. I have liked these nesting pads. They are easy to insert, last a long time, and keep things cleaner.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU CLEAN THE COOP?

This really can depend on hw many chickens you have and how messy it gets. If you smell ammonia then it needs to be cleaned. I would say for sure monthly. If you are doing a deep litter method on the floor then you can at least clean the bars and nesting boxes etc.

I would say weekly spruce it up and once a month really clean it. You don’t want too much time to go by as the ammonia can build up and it’s terrible for the chickens health.

OTHER WAYS TO KEEP YOUR COOP FRESH

1.) Whitewash the walls

2.) Spray essential oils in the coop. Bugs hate the smell of lavender, peppermint, rosemary, basil lemongrass. Put some in a spray bottle with water and spray away.

3.) Place actual herbs like basil and lavender in the nesting boxes. Your chickens will love it and it will help deter bugs.

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