jools+6 Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 i went to see another neighbours chickens the other day and her hen house was awfull . it was thick with poo ! the chickens seemed fine but i couldn't believe the state of the house and nesting boxes . i clean mine out every week and line the floor with newspaper and woodchips plus i put their feeders and drinkers through the dishwasher twice a week . am i being too fussy ? she's kept chickens for years so i didn't want to say anything ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 I had a similar encounter the other week. It made me feel quite virtuous,really Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyBoo Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 No, you're not being too fussy (she says remembering hers need a clean ) I don't like mine to get minging either but friends of ours put nothing on the floor of the run so it's basically baked earth in the summer and mud in the winter. Their wooden hen house is pretty grim too, but the hens don't mind and are fit and healthy so I guess they must be OK. Mrs B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jools+6 Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share Posted August 21, 2008 with the threat of red mite and other horrrible yeuky things (like the technical term ? ) i thought every chook keeper was the same mine are in the hilton !!! wish the kids rooms were as clean we bark chip the run but they're never in it unless i'm at work (part time ) . too busy pooing on the doorstep which i zoflora twice a day . god am i anal ???? i am , aren't i ?? ignore me . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electricbarbarella Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 I clean the house out every day, including hosing the roosting bars, I poo pick the run most days, but at least every other day and they are on aubiose. when they free range I go round with my rubber gloves on and pick up the poo and when they go o bed I hose the patio down. I think it is the difference between pets and farm animals tbh, I would never leave my cats litter tray so why would I not cl;ean the chooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jools+6 Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share Posted August 21, 2008 I clean the house out every day, including hosing the roosting bars, I poo pick the run most days, but at least every other day and they are on aubiose. when they free range I go round with my rubber gloves on and pick up the poo and when they go o bed I hose the patio down. I think it is the difference between pets and farm animals tbh, I would never leave my cats litter tray so why would I not cl;ean the chooks. thank god i'm not anal .... thought it was common sense , even the bunny gets well cleaned out every sunday (5ft hutch ) and she free ranges all day round the garden . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 I think because I think of them as pets, I don't like the hens to be living in dirty conditions. Plus the idea of eating eggs that have been laid in filth is I empty the poo tray and reline with newspaper twice a week and aim to thoroughly scrub the Eglu and roosting bars once a month. I rake out the run every couple of weeks and move it and completely change the run floor every few months. Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surferdog Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Same here - I hate it when they're dirty. I've relaxed a bit since I first got them so now only empty the poo tray and poo pick every other day. It gets lined with newspaper, bokashi bran and sprinkled with citronella and I change the paper in the nest box at the same time. I guess that a lot of us are also living in much closer proximity to our hens than some of the more traditional hen keepers so probably keep them cleaner. I certainly don't want a 'farmyardy' smell wafting through the kitchen windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruth1 Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 I guess because we do see them as pets we are more conscious about keeping them clean. I clean the poo trays twice a week, thoroughly wash out the cube and roosting bars every weekend and poo pick the run most nights. Although there is an element there of not giving the neighbours a chance to complain . I just love to see it all clean and fresh ( for about 5 mins ) Everyone else gets all their various things washed out at the weekend to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiggerlady Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 I love to see the girls clean and tidy! They seem to like it too I poo pick the house and run every day and completely clean it out every week even tho they re on aubiose.There is only two of them..spoilt methinks..but as you say,I dont want them smelling and a clean house is easier to spot pests,bugs etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna_0 Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 Eugh gross! It seems like everyone on here keeps their hen houses clean..do your neighbours think of them as pets, or just animals that produce food? Maybe they should take a look on here at all of the yukky things they can get if they get grotty and they might think then about being a bit cleaner? I clean the roosting bars every night and put fresh paper in the tray..might be a bit ott but I don't want to invite nasties in! I would't want to sleep in a stinky house so I would't expect my beloved girls to -Barbara 28/07/08 -Margot 04/08/08 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whittlewitch Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 I also keep mine lovely an clean, but again they are very much part of the family. My father who is a famers son, said they only cleaned there hen cabins out every few months, and the chap next door used to have 30 hen asnd said similar. I also live very near a chicken farm, the birds are table birds and the hens house are only cleaned out after they are moved to you know where . I spoke to evironmental health in my capicity as the Parish Council Clerks as I had received complaints about the smell, they confirmed that birds were kept in line with guidelines etc, so it doesn't appear that they think it creates a health problem to either the neighbours or the birds - which I realise doesn't mean that much!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsallen08 Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 The hens from those farms/broilers have loads of drugs to keep them 'healthy' so probably wouldnt catch germs/worms/lice like ours would in that condition. I think our neighbours would be complaining if the same smell was coming from our hens! Ours get a clean out every week (along with rabbits). Although where they roost at night and perching in day gets 'refreshed' every couple of days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolatedog Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 I have to admit I've lapsed slightly since junior arrived - I used to be far more regular about cleaning out the poo tray and scrubbing the roosting bars, and I cleaned out the eglu religiously every 4 weeks, but now my free time is far more restricted - most of my free time is after junior has gone to bed and I can't exactly clean out the eglu after it's gone dark outside! Unfortunately hubby has had a lot of foreign business trips which have covered the weekends so I've got no-one else to watch junior while I do the chicken jobs..... At least they're now back out and enjoying the garden so are in the run much less these days in any case. We're still planning to build a much bigger walk-in run, but hubby's trips are delaying construction work!!!! One of these days...... *dreams* ....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ambulance Girl Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 Im with you on this one, i clean out the cube daily and wash everything i also poo pick run and garden several times throughout the day, honestly i do do other things as well, life does not just revolve around the chooks!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angels4 Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 (edited) I don't want to appear judgemental but I just caught up with this thread and I wanted to share. I had the misfortune today to meet a friend of a friend who keeps chickens. He has a small flock (just two more than me) I have four girls. Thier run was a dust bowl and the inside of the coop (wooden) had a strong oder of ammonia. His poor girls were in a filthy state, but were quite friendly. Thier poor bums were red and swollen. One of the girls appeared to be the target of some nasty pecking as she was missing nearly all her beautiful, soft, down around her bottom. I originally thought a moult, but he mentioned she was "bottom of the pole". I thought I was being anal and obsessive when it came to the starndard of cleanliness I keep my girls in, but soon relized it doesn't take long to keep a clean coop/run and if I wasn't on top of things it wouldn't take long for my girls to live in what I view as "sub-standard." Edited for spelling Edited August 27, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 My four live in a wooden coop with a run and free range all day. Two of them sleep in the nest box so the newspaper under the perches and straw in the box is changed daily. The woodchip is changed every three to four weeks. I clean and spray the coop with poultry sheild weekly. I picked up a tip to limewash the inside, (which you can get away with doing twice yearly), to keep red mite away so I will have a go at that the next fine day we get ....( next year ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 I give a really thourough weekly clean, but not daily, unless the nest box is dirty. Deep litter systems do work really well, if there's enough space and birds, but any smell of ammonia is a REALLY bad sign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph101 Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 I know exactly what you mean! I had a similar experience recently. Went to this person's house, (who shall remain nameless) and I was stunned by the squalor their chickens lived in. They were filthy, and looked pecked to death. It's not on. I keep ours absolutely spotless. Their house gets scrubbed out 1-2 times a week, with plenty of sweet smelling diatom, mite powder and stalosan and bokashi in there. I even bathe their legs and bums in warm water and tea tree shampoo with a spot of lavender oil in it. They look clean, shiny and glossy, like something out of a Pantene advert! I don't care who thinks I'm nuts either....! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angels4 Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 (edited) I do the same. I use Paul Mitchell Tea Tree and Lavender Shampoo to clean the inside of the Eglu/roost bars and pooh tray twice a week. Doesn't the lavender make you want to sleep in the Eglu? I could take a nap just thinking about it. Then once a month I use a commercial grade pet kennel disenfectant to throughly clean and sanatize everything. When I say this chaps run was a dust bowl, I mean really it was more like the Mojave. I haven't yet given the girls a good scrub because my sister won't allow me to bring the girls in, and the weather has been so spotty here, I don't want them to catch a chill, however she had to go to the office today (ususally works from home) and I'm not telling if the girls don't! Edited August 27, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 I have to admit that I don't clean the eglu and cubes daily. I give them a thoroughout scrub every Saturday morning and clean out the poopy areas of aubiose in the runs. I don't have time to do anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexgirl73 Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Well, I'm not physically able or financially to be able to scrub out twice a week and replace all the bedding etc. My girls get all their shavings in the coop (shed) replaced once a fortnight, and all surfaces apart rom the floor obviously scrubbed once to twice a week with pet disenfectant. I also spray the shed with comfi clean. As I dont have anything in the nest box that just gets a wipe out twice a week with pet disenfectant too. And the run gets raked over as it has wood chip in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angels4 Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Alexgirl I'm sure your coop (shed) is far cleaner and you do more for your girls than the chap I'm speaking of. I actually don't replace all the bedding (I pick out the bits that are really soiled) and throw them into the composter. Please, I hope you don't think I'm insinuating Please forgive me if that is your impression. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinkychick Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Mine get their pooh tray cleaned out every other day, its lined with newspaper which people give to me the bars get wiped off if needs be, then the house and bars get scrubbed on a weekend with pet disinfectant, and the hose. Clean newspaper shreds are put in the nesting box if needs be, they are not laying yet but it just makes it easier for me to clean. I pooh flick my grass every night, and hose down my yard/patio..i also use kitchen spray bleach on my outside table... its plastic and i think they like the warmth on their bums so tend to sit...and pooh on it If only you could toilet train chucks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexgirl73 Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 AlexgirlI'm sure your coop (shed) is far cleaner and you do more for your girls than the chap I'm speaking of. I actually don't replace all the bedding (I pick out the bits that are really soiled) and throw them into the composter. Please, I hope you don't think I'm insinuating Please forgive me if that is your impression. I really must remember to use smillies more often. Honestly, I didn't take any offence at what you or any others have said, in fact I admire your dedication My girls aren't filthy by any means, and I can just imagine the chap you are talking about I have my 3 cats to clean after, my cat pen (I foster), my rabbit and 2 kids and a hubby to clean up after The chooks are at the bottom of the list I'm afraid But as I once did work placement on a battery farm I can safely say my girls live in the lap of luxury, after all where else would they get their own blackberry bush to strip clean in 5 mins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
