For each person that keeps chickens, there is probably just as many variations in chicken coop designs and management techniques. When we built our coop, we based the design on one that would be as predator proof as possible from the many predators in this area and one that would provide adequate protection from the elements that are typical for our area. Our coop sits above the ground, with about a foot or so between the floor of it and the earth underneath. The coop flooring is treated OSB, and I chose the “Deep Litter Method” (DLM from here on out) for coop poop management.
The idea behind the DLM is really quite simple. You start with a clean coop floor, cover it with about four to six inches of litter, and then about once a week or so, sprinkle litter over the top of that to cover the poop as it accumulates. I use pine chips that Bernie chips up for me from fallen pine trees around here. Once a month or so I use a garden rake and stir all that litter around in the coop, just to keep the poop from clumping. On days when we have snow or a lot of rain and the chickens hang out inside the coop, I sprinkle some scratch all through the litter on the coop floor and the chickens stir it for me. If done correctly, there will be virtually no offensive smell in the coop, and the litter only needs to be completely removed once a year. If the coop is kept dry, the litter remains dry, as does the flooring beneath it.
I really like using the DLM for several reasons, the least of which is not the fact that it only takes me about 10 minutes each day to clean the coop and replenish feed and water containers. The daily coop cleaning duty is referred to as the “Coop Poop Boogie” here on the homestead, and consists of scraping all poop off the top of nest boxes, nest porches, and roosts, sprinkling new litter on the coop floor as required, filling feeders and changing out water. By the way, the Coop Poop Boogie is not to be confused with the Poop Scoot Boogie, which is performed after stepping in a fresh little pile of chicken poop in the yard on the homestead. Everyday’s a party around here.
Yep, the Coop Poop Boogie is fast and easy, thanks to the DLM. The coop spring cleaning, however, is not. It’s not fast. And it’s not easy. I spent about 4 1/2 hours yesterday spring cleaning the coop, which, among other things, involved shoveling out about two feet of poop encrusted litter. But, with each shovel load, I reminded myself that this one day of pain is what makes the daily Poop Scoop Boogie so tolerable the other 364 days of the year. And I was quite pleased that once all the litter was out of the coop, the floor beneath it and the nest boxes were perfectly dry.
When it was all said and done, I ended up with a mountain of poop encrusted pine shavings which I mixed with straw and leaves and covered in Chicken Poop Tea I’ve been brewing for the past couple of months. This colossal pile of poop is now soaking in the 3/4 inch of rain we got last night. It’s supposed to rain all day and into tomorrow, and this soaking is just what the poop pile needs. I checked it this morning, and it’s already getting hot. For the next several months I will continue to add straw, grass cuttings, kitchen scraps, chicken poop, and water to this massive pile, and by next spring, I should have a beautiful pile of compost that my garden will enjoy.
That’s the chicken poop pile on the right, and my straw pile on the left.
Composting pine shavings can take quite some time, but by regularly adding chicken poop, straw, and “green” material to it (grass, kitchen scraps, etc.) and keeping the pile damp, you may be amazed at how much more quickly the composting process occurs. I’ve done this on a much smaller scale and it works beautifully and quickly. Every week or so, rather than wetting with water, I pour a bucket or two of Chicken Poop Tea on it to help keep this compost pile hot. I make this tea by filling a couple of buckets half full with water and then adding in the poop I scoop each day until the buckets are full. I also stir them daily, while holding my nose. And I keep the buckets covered with a loosely fitting lid.
By the end of the year, I should have a nice, rich mountain of compost. I’ll stop adding chicken poop to the pile and let it “season” until next spring. Chicken poop is extremely strong and will kill plants if applied directly to them without allowing the poop to age and compost. The rule of thumb is: If you can recognized the shape of the poop, it’s probably too “hot” to apply to plants. Allow it to break down completely and NEVER apply Chicken Poop Tea directly on plants or the ground where they are planted. It’s just too strong – but it works great to speed composting in compost piles.
So that’s the scoop on the Coop Poop Boogie. Come to think of it, this all sums up my life beautifully – enriched with poop. Every dad gum day.
While I was out cleaning the coop, Bernie left the dogs in the house to bring me some tools for reconstructing the little chicken hospital in the coop. When I came in for a break he said “Good news! You get to do some shoe shopping!” I immediately looked at the puppies. Neither would make eye contact with me. “I left my sandals by the door when I changed into my rubber boots, didn’t I? How badly did they chew them up?” I asked. “Well, it wasn’t ‘they’, it was ‘him’ and it wasn’t ‘them’, it was ‘it’.” *sigh* “Well, how bad is IT?” Bernie said “You might be able to salvage it. I’m not sure, but I think Dolly stole it and gave it to Diesel. It was in Diesel’s mouth when I found it, but Dolly was looking kinda guilty.”
That doesn’t look very salvageable to me. I realize it looks like something I dug out of the dump, but I LOVE those sandals. I’ve had them for years. They were broken in beautifully and had become the only sandals I wear in the summer on the homestead. Darnit. But it’s my fault for leaving them on the floor and providing a temptation little Dolly and/or Diesel just could not resist. The joy of puppies…….
Bee Free,
Penny
Loved hearing about your Poop Coop Boogie! Good advice for the day I actually get to have chickens and a coop! My alpaca poo tea has been brewing for a few weeks and hopefully I will be able to use it soon. Oh, the joys of talking poop!
Lilla – poop talk is the best! Your alpaca poo tea is going to be great. I can’t wait to hear of the results in your garden. And the Poop Scoot Boogie has taken on a-whole-nother dimension now that there are puppies running around the yard…..
Ahhh, yes. Chicken poop and shoes. What could possibly be better to talk about?
Thats a pretty sandal. Maybe you could duct tape that toe piece!
That being said. My slipper seems to have gotten loved on just like that by a puppy named Darby. Little shit.
Frugalmom – I must say, the pups have good taste. But I’ll let you on a little secret about my bizarre personality. When I like something, I buy several of them. I loved those sandals so much, that two years ago I bought two more pair – one in brown and one in black. They were on clearance and I’m certain no one will ever sell those sandals again. But I still have those two pair. But that old pair was the pair I wear around here every summer. I gardened in them, cleaned the coop in them, cleaned the house in them, and practically slept in them! I LOVED THOSE SANDALS! They were so broken in I felt like I was barefoot when I wore them. And now they are gone
Darn those puppy teeth. And darn me for leaving them laying around. On another note, it does bring me a small measure of comfort that I am not alone. Kiss Darby for me 
That wouldnt have anything to do with the whole pack rat thing would it??
Darn you for reading my blog and using it against me! And I refuse to answer your question. So there.
HA! I LOVE it when my memory actually works!!!!
Hey – I believe in Paying it Forward. I also believe in pay backs girlfriend! Only I don’t have a memory. Dammit. Foiled again.
I would’ve thought that the Coop-Poop pile would be steaming in the pic.
Must be starting to warm up down ya’lls way.
When I was young my Mom and Dad let me have a small garden plot of my own. One year it was in the corner where exta chicken litter was droped by the spreader. Everything grew well and I won some blue ribbons at the fair. But not on my potatoes. They grew to fast When the judge cut one open it was hollow. We used the litter from the brooder house where we raised the young chicks in the spring. We used brown peat for the first layer of beding and then straw after that. In the fall, after the pullets were taken to the hen house and the garden was harvested we would put the litter on the garden and tilled it in. John A
Chainsaw – I know! I haven’t checked it yet this morning. I will as soon as the sun gets up a bit and I let the chickens out. It should be cooking pretty good right about now.
John – chicken poop really is awesome in the garden. When we lived in town, before I even thought of getting chickens, we went to a local chicken house and got chicken poop by the truck bed full. We did basically the same as you – tilled it into the garden in the fall. Our garden was beautiful and we had tomato plants six feet tall. No kidding. My pile of steaming poo will probably get tilled in this fall too. If not, it will be ready to be added in the spring. I just love my poop pile!
Good morning! Yep, I’ve done both of those boogies! As kids we went barefoot outside-we had chickens, cattle and pigs!! Stinky messes between the toes!!!
My sympathy re: sandals. I hate it when my favorite comfy shoes bite the dust one way or another. My lab, Lucky, loves to chew also.
Am heading for Iowa next week to soak in some trees and hills. Very few of those in west Texas!!
Take care – don’t sprain anything doing your boogies!
Hey Cotton Lady – I suspect once you learn to do those boogies, you never forget! And yea, I’m still sad about my sandals – now I’ve got to work on breaking in another pair.
We have a good friend in Iowa and spent a few days there a couple of years ago. I really liked it there – he lives in eastern Iowa. Very pretty.
Have a great trip! Talk to ya when you return.
lemon and lavendar scented sawdust and herby hay is what by chickens sleep in LOL….
Still green with envy….. so much that I look like the wicked witch if the west
x
Green Marmite Toast – since I’ve never had that, I have no idea if green is good! I actually thought of sprinkling in some orange or lemon essential oil with the litter. The fresh pine smell was so nice I decided against it for now. But as time goes on, I think a few sprinkles of scent would be nice. And I imagine the girls wouldn’t mind smelling as though they slept in a brothel
Nor would the boys!
Well, I have my life here and I love it, and you have a life full of lively mice, pink camping tents, stolen apples, poop splashed wind shields, and …. well….. more fun than most experience in an entire lifetime! Every one of us has ups and downs, and you share your ups. Your ups will surely get you through any downs you experience. You’re a tough cookie. And speaking of cookies, do you bake as well? During my visit to England so many years ago, I fell in love with tea time, which always included biscuits – and any American would know is actually butter cookies! I gained weight while there, and it took me quite a while to get over the afternoon tea time. Those butter cookies were to die for.
Finding the right site…
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