Keeping care of your chickens doesn’t have to be difficult. Once you have a routine for your feathered friends, you just need to keep them fed, watered, and make sure the birds have enough room to exercise. One of the most important parts of caring for your chickens is maintaining their chicken house and coop.
Every chicken owner needs to ensure their coops are clean and hygienic, durable, and comfortable. Over the year, as the seasons and weather change, there are also other tasks you need to complete. In the winter, you need to cover your chicken’s house for added insulation to protect them from the cold. Old carpets, blankets, cardboard, and even bubble wrap are great materials to use to keep your birds warm during the colder months.
There are many daily, weekly, and monthly tasks you need to complete to maintain your chicken house. Ticking these jobs off your chicken care checklist ensures your birds are healthy, happy, and comfortable in their homes. After all, that’s what every chicken owner wants.
The Best Way to Clean Your Chicken House
1. Use The Garden Hose
Every chicken house needs washing down regularly. Chicken poop can build up in the coop and all around the pen. Instead of scrubbing the surfaces manually with a bucket of warm water and brush, use your garden hose to wash away any mess. Garden hoses are also accessible for most people as opposed to other expensive equipment.
It’s a tool that’s perfect for cleaning your chicken’s home and, unlike with pressure washers, there is no risk of damaging the structure. Older individuals who may not be able to scrub hard-to-reach areas can also use the hose to clean the coop. Garden hoses are the perfect tool to wash down any area you’ve just scrubbed clean too.
2. Organise The Space
One of the keys to maintaining chicken houses is organisation. You should have a space for everything in the coop, so the mess doesn’t accumulate unnecessarily. When looking after chickens, some mess is unavoidable. Keeping yourself, and your feathered friends, as organised as possible helps you keep the coop tidy and hygienic.
Being well organised also makes it easier to carry out fast repairs. When you know your chicken house inside out, you can spot damage straight away. Even if it’s a small hole in a far corner of the coop. Maintaining a chicken house is all about having a routine, regular cleaning, and managing feeders and waterers all need organisation, so keep on top of your management. Your chickens will thank you for it.
3. Prioritise Hygiene & Cleanliness
Your chickens need a hygienic, clean, and safe place for them to rest and sleep. Regularly clean the inside of their coop to prevent the chicken poop from spreading across the coop’s floor. This not only creates an unsanitary environment but can lead to a buildup of ammonia which can cause health problems for your chickens. Unless you’re using the deep litter method, regularly clean the chicken’s house floor and replace your chicken’s bedding.
4. Wash Down The Chicken Run & Walkway
It’s not only the chicken house’s floor that you need to regularly clean. The chicken run and walkway can become dirty too, so you need to wash them down to keep the space hygienic. As it’s the area you chickens go through directly after visiting the laying area, lots of chicken poop and dirt can build up. Use your garden hose to wash away any muck and keep the area sanitary for your birds.
5. Maintain Scratch Posts & Other Scratching Areas
Scratch posts are something your chickens probably love. However, areas your chickens can scratch aren’t only fun, they protect the coop from damage as well. When there isn’t a designated area for the birds to scratch, they will scratch and peck at places they shouldn’t – like their coop. This can cause damage to the chicken house and may also hurt your birds. Maintain the scratching areas so your feathered friends always have somewhere to peck their hearts out.
6. Ventilate The Chicken House
Making sure there is enough ventilation in the chicken house is essential. Ventilation allows carbon dioxide and ammonia to escape the coop, preventing the harmful gases from affecting your flock. It also helps fresh airflow through the house making it a more happy, healthy, and comfortable living space for your chickens.
7. Check & Repair Damage Quickly
High-quality chicken houses are secure and durable, as long as there is no damage. If there is a hole in the structure, this has many risks for the birds. During the winter, cold winds can enter the coop and harm your chickens, for example. However, damaged coops are easier to access for predators, which is why any repairs need to be made immediately.
Regularly check over the chicken house to identify any features that need repairing. Doing this often also helps you spot areas that need cleaning too. The process doesn’t have to be boring either, you can make it part of your routine when you feed the birds or interact with them while they’re outside the coop. Just make sure you’re thorough so you spot any areas that require repairs.
Eggshell Chicken Houses
Before you can maintain your chicken’s home, you need a place they will love. For safe and comfortable chicken houses your birds will enjoy, browse our range today. Find the perfect chicken coop for you and your flock. Call us on 01903 756121 for any questions or buy online today for simple, fuss free delivery.
