Put a layer of sand/rubber chippings or gravel down in the run area to help with drainage. Bark chippings can go mouldy so be careful if using these and change regularly. Provide a dry sandbox under cover to allow the hens to dust bath.
Mix equal parts of vinegar and water to create a cleaning solution and mop up your coop for an all-natural cleaning. Use this cleaning solution on your chicken feeders and drinkers, then put them under the sun to dry completely.
Mud is not good for chickens. It can promote bumblefoot and internal parasites, as well as making it less easy and pleasant for chickens to get around. Mud is even worse for chicken owners.
Ground cover within the coop can be anything from wood chips, straw and grass to bare ground. Organic materials tend to break down quickly and plain sand is a popular choice for its durability. Whatever you choose, make sure the chickens may easily scratch and dig.
Mix up equal parts white vinegar and water in a bucket OR just slosh straight vinegar onto your wet floor. I preferred the sloshing method personally. Take your broom or brush and give everything a vigorous scrubbing, making sure to distribute the vinegar solution as thoroughly as possible.
Just like we clean our houses every week your hens will appreciate a clean environment to catch their 40 winks and lay eggs. It is important to keep your chicken coop clean as a build-up of droppings will cause a build-up of ammonia, and this ammonia can be damaging to your hens respiratory system and eyes.
Bottom line, straw is a far better choice for coop bedding than hay for us both because of its price and far lower moisture content. So that's why we buy both straw and hay. Hay for the horses to eat and straw for the chicken coop and nesting boxes.
Not all chicken coops need floors, particularly those that use the deep litter method, have soil that drains well, and are well-designed to keep out predators. However, many coops without floors allow easy access for rodents and burrowing predators, are difficult to clean, and add too much moisture to the coop.
Quicklime, which is calcium oxide, and hydrated lime, which is calcium hydroxide, are the two common forms of lime you will find in garden or home improvement retail stores. Adding a dry alkali such as lime accelerates the volatilization of the nitrogen in chicken manure, which releases the ammonia faster.
The answer is to use it as a soil amendment or fertilizer. However, raw chicken manure can burn and damage plants. It should be composted or aged prior to use. In addition, raw manure can contain pathogens that can harm people and animals.
Once a week, scoop up all the droppings and lay down a new fresh bedding inside the coop. 1-2x a year, conduct a deep clean of the coop to ensure it's still a happy and healthy place for your chickens.
The most basic option for cleaning your chook coop is a mixture of vinegar and water-either ACV or white vinegar will work. Simply mix about 15ml of vinegar with water in a spray bottle. Spray on and wipe off with a damp rag or sponge and voila… clean, fresh smelling coop!
Grass in the chicken run.
The obvious answer might seem to be grass, and if you have a big enough area, grass is ideal. Chickens can spend their day happily scratching around for bugs, and creating their own dustbaths in whatever shade they can find.
Medium- to coarse-grained sand is the best chicken coop bedding as it's non-toxic, dries quickly, stays clean, is low in pathogens, and has low levels of dust. Sand is a much safer choice than all other bedding materials.
Wood shavings, straw or sawdust are economical choices. Replace bedding every few weeks to keep the nest sanitary and attractive. Encourage chickens to use nesting boxes by placing plastic eggs or golf balls in the nests to simulate recently laid eggs.
The biggest thing to avoid is using plastic. Plastic gets very hot when the sun is beating down, which can create unsafe temperatures for chickens. In addition, since plastic degrades faster in direct sunlight than other materials, a plastic coop built in a hot climate will not last very long.
It is good to keep at least three inches of litter or bedding in the coop at all times. Why? Because chickens need insulation from the outdoor conditions, both hot and cold. Additionally, when a chicken jumps to the ground from either a perch or nest box, they need a layer of protection from the ground.
Collect manure and bedding.
Chicken owners normally use bedding such as shavings, sawdust, dry leaves, or straw to provide a dry cushion for chickens and to control odor and pests. The coop bedding can be collected with the manure and dumped into a composting bin.
The benefits of sand are many. Sand desiccates droppings, it does not retain moisture or decay inside the coop, which means less risk of respiratory infections, fewer flies and other insect activity, less bacterial growth, reduced bumblefoot infections and a lower risk of frostbite compared to shavings and straw.
Grass is an important feed crop for your chickens and provides nutrients that are good for them and make eggs more nutritious and yolks richer in color. Also, once they spread the grass clippings, they make a great mulch layer that improves the soil quality in the chicken run and helps keep dust down in dry months.