[mikeschooks]

Hi everyone, not collecting my new ark and hens untill next Tuesday, but sure to have lots of questions. How often will I need to clean out their quarters, will have three hens. Also I know some of the food contains grit, but is it still a good idea to provide a separate grit feeder. Thanks  Mike

[8doubles]

It depends on the weather if the coop floor is wet in winter or if its hot in summer you will smell (and the flies will tell you )when a clean out is due. My 3 get a complete clean out every week in summer but they can go 2 weeks in winter if the coop stays dry.
 I check under the perches for red mite every 2 days in summer and if any are found its  a compleat clean immediately.

ps i just throw a handful of grit where they can find it when allowed out for a free range.

[Sparr0wman]

I'm new to this ( 1 week with chooks) i'm Picking up the poo every morning, and geez can these girls poo
Giving them a full clean of a weekend , and then a DEEP clean each month. i hope this will keep all the nasties at bay.

[andreadon]

i'm taking
full clean to mean: remove all straw and bedding and wipe down then put in new straw and bedding.
and deep clean to mean wash and scrub the coop down with jeyes fluid (make sure it's dry before the hens go to bed - that's why we do it less often in the winter....) then rinse and replace the bedding etc.

we also pick up the poo in the run every evening when they've retired ( it helps to have a light in the run). (we use a fire shovel and a stick - so we don't have to handle it!!  )
we have newspaper under the perches and every day we remove the old stuff and put new stuff down.
we have straw in the nest boxes that gets replaced every week.

[8doubles]

One of the dustpans with the long vertical handle  plus a fire shovel with extended handle for poo-putting is what i use  for cleaning the run or lawn.
Saves the creaky back a bit.

[mikeschooks]

Thanks everyone for your help. Good to see I am not the only beginner

[Wyandottie]

Had my chickens since early March and I have got into the habit of cleaning every day.  By that I mean picking up poo from nesting boxes (where one girl insists on sleeping), and from under the perches.  I add more wood shavings to the floor if necessary, and most days have to replace the straw in the nest box.  My girls seem to prefer to re-arrange their own nestboxes and it ends up scattered over the floor of the coop.  I use a stiff wire brush to give the perches a clean.  I use my gardening gloves to pick up the poo which together with straw and shavings go onto the compost heap - rotting down nicely!