Chicken Care: Chicken Coop Maintenance and Beddings

Cleaning

Regular cleaning is important if you want healthy, happy hens. This can be anything from a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly clean, depending on how many bird you keep, the coop and the system you use.

Cleaning out the chicken house is something that puts off quite a few people from raising chickens; but it needn't be such a burden!
However, once a year, the whole coop will need hosing down and disinfecting with a mild bleach solution or poultry disinfectant.

Here are a few of the most popular systems for cleaning and are fairly economical.

The Deep Litter System.
This system is most frequently used with large numbers of hens, and large coops. Instead of cleaning the droppings out, you just add new bedding over the top, stopping the hens from treading on it. Make sure you have plenty of ventilation for this system, and clean the whole thing out once a year. Long straw doesn't work for this as the moisture runs through. This system works best in winter, providing extra heat on cold nights.

Spot Cleaning.
I currently use this system because my coop is relatively small and I currently only have a few hens. You will need a small trowel or scoop. Scoop the droppings out daily or every few days. Again, long straw can be used but is not too suitable because it is difficult to scoop out the dropping without taking all the bedding with you! This system is good for composting because you add a little bedding with plenty of manure to the compost heap every few days or it can be added straight on to the garden.

Regular Cleaning.
It is possible to give a good layer of bedding and change it all weekly to monthly. I usually use this if I go away so my "hen sitter" doesn't need to clean them out much, if at all. Not the best system if the perches are near the door, because the hens will have to walk through the droppings to get into the coop.

Bedding

Type:                                                             Pros &Cons:                                                                          

Long Straw - This can be quite cheap if you buy in large bales from a farm, however you will need to be extra careful of mites and lice. Red mites may also hide inside the straw. It is not the most absorbent litter, and can not be used for spot cleaning. Good insulator and great for composting or mulching. I have heard from a couple of sources that it can cause crop impaction, but very rare. Hens like it in the nest boxes.

Chopped Straw - Better absorbency than long straw and can be used for spot cleaning. Mites may still hide in it but it's much less likely. Despite it's disadvantages, I have used this for years, and found it perfectly adequate. Can be insulating, and great for composting and mulching. 

Oilseed Rape Straw - I didn't even know this existed until recently, but I am completely converted! It  smells nice, can be composted, very absorbent, insulating, if chopped, great for spot cleaning and dust-free. It's also one of the cheapest and most economical beddings.

Hay - Can harbour fungi, but if replaced regularly and kept dry, works OK, good for nests but don't use for chicks or broody hens. Not the best absorbency, not good for spot cleaning.

Hemp - Hemp bedding, such as Aubiose, is good to use. Sorry, I have never used it for chickens, but sources say it works well, with good absorbency and dust-free.

Woodshavings - Best if dust extracted. Very dusty shavings should not be used. Needs a lot longer to rot down than  the other beddings I have talked about, so will need to be in a separate compost heap. Very absorbent and great for most cleaning systems (see above).  

Sand - Absorbency OK, not good for composting but can be reused by sieving the sand through and using the droppings on the compost heap. Not at all insulating. 

Leaves, bracken, etc. - Some people do use these as bedding. Can't give an opinion on dried leaves, but bracken is a good insect repellent and used to be frequently used in the olden days, but apparently should not be consumed by the chickens, so I wouldn't risk it!

Newspaper - Not very good absorbency, and there is some debate about whether the ink is bad for them. Good insulator.