Cleaning Coop in Winter months

I know this came up not so long ago but I couldn't find the topic. How important is it to really clean the coop in the winter? Until it got really cold, I was pulling all the bedding and tray out and spraying the entire coop with poultry shield and washing the perch and inside coop but since the cold, I haven't been doing this as it just won't dry. I just change the newspaper and bedding weekly and scrape any poo off the inside door frame/perch etc./ I have been putting mite powder on the birds once every six weeks and puffing a bit inside on the coop floor too. Is this enough until the sun decides to return? Advice please.

Coops don't need an incredible clean every week with sprays and water. I've only been removing the old bedding and replacing it with new. If a coop is clean to be come immacluate every week you will remove all of the bacteria and germs which isn't as good as it may sound. As with all creatures a small amount of bacteria is useful since it allows the birds to build up a bit of a 'natural' (if you like) immunity and allows the bird to 'fend' for itself better in the event of an illness starting in a flock. I would agree that mite and lice powders should be used since this is different to bacteria and the birds can't fight them back that effectively. Washing and scrubbing I would leave and just do it a few times during the summer.

Dickie73  I'm glad you asked this question as today was going to be the girls first 'proper' clean since we got them, and it did seem mad to spray the coop in this damp cold weather.  'Luckily' i couldn't find the poultry shield i had bought, so the decision was taken out of my hands lol.

 I swept out all the old bedding and just added new, plus a sprinkle of Bio dry and Diatom.  Of course the coop being new, still looks clean anyway, but i do poo pick everyday, so the perches are clean and i top up the bedding each week, and re new the nest boxes.

So hopefully i did good. 

I'm beginning to think I'm the only person on here that doesn't use some kind of disinfectant. :blink: I've never had a problem with lice, mites or any other nasty insects, even though I check regularly. I poo pick daily, change the shavings every week to 10 days, and have never scrubbed out with anything wet. My girl's are all healthy, and the coop is dry and warm. Maybe I've just been really lucky?

Like yourself D I have only done it a few times in the summer when the coop can air and dry properly, the rest of the time its a good clean every few weeks and renew as necessary, no one wants to hang around outside in this dreadfully cold weather.  Something I have done though that no one else seems to have is make my perches free standing and made of plastic sink piping with bends and angles etc, so the whole thing pulls apart and I wash it in the sink with disinfectant, it dries in minutes, slot if all back together again and back in the coop.  I have roughened the perches with sandpaper so they don't do the 'dead parrot' act, they have used these for a year now with no problems and def' no place for the dreaded mite. alison