While chickens may be “simple” animals, they still like to feel comfortable and part of that comfort involves keeping your chicken coop clean. A tidy house for your fowl will not only make for happier, more productive chickens but will help fight against disease, flies and vermin. Chicken can be messy so how often you have to clean the coop depends on how fussy your chickens are.

It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the coop as often as possible. At the very least, you should check on the condition of the housing every day. This doesn’t mean cleaning on a daily basis but make sure your chickens are well fed and hydrated. Most chickens poop during the evening so you should clean this out each morning. The nice thing is you can recycle chicken poop by adding it to soil to help provide nutrients for growing vegetables.

Each week you may be required to change the bedding of the nesting boxes. Recylcling old bedding is convenient and efficient and is encouraged. The watering devices to keep your chickens hydrated should be cleaned at least once per month to ensure safety and combat potential illness and spread of disease.

At least twice per year you should do a full coop clean out. Replacing the top soil with fresh soil after cleaning the poop and any built up dirt will make your chickens happier. Scrub down all doors and windows and keep the overall area nice and clean.

The main thing to remember is that by keeping a clean coop, you not only provide a safter, healthier environment for your chickens but they’ll be happier and more productive in the process.