How To Clean A Chicken Coop With A Dirt Floor? The Easiest Method

The bad smell and the damp floor are very disturbing to the chickens. They, like humans, need clean air and a clean house. It is not just a luxury or a secondary need, but rather it has a very important health aspect.

Leaving the chicken coop without cleaning leads to its dampness as a result of the accumulation of water and waste. This is a motivating factor for the growth of bacteria and fungi, which exposes chickens to serious health problems.

Some people, especially beginners in raising chickens, may not know how to clean the coop. That’s why we have prepared this article for you to learn how to clean the dirt coop in simple steps.

How To Clean A Chicken Coop With A Dirt Floor?

There are two ways to clean the chicken coop, cleaning it with disinfectant and water (the wet method), and cleaning it with organic bedding (the dry method).

Method 1: Cleaning The Barn With Water And Disinfectant

Here is a step-by-step guide to cleaning a dirt floor chicken coop with disinfectant and water:

1. Remove Chicken

Method of Removal: Gently use a net of tempting teats to guide to chicken out of the coop. It’s a stress free process for the chicken and you as well.

Safety: Don’t forget to make sure that all the chicken are successfully removed from the coop. You don’t want any interference during the cleaning process.

2. Clean Off All Dirt From Floor

You must first clean out all the dirt, nesting materials, feather parts, and bird droppings. It may take some time to clean the dirt and debris,

It is a very necessary step in getting rid of as many droppings as possible and clean up efficiently later. [1]

For thorough cleaning, it is best to scrape walls, feeders, drinkers, and any other utensils.

Make sure to clean all the waste in an environmentally responsible manner!

3. Use A Water Hose To Spray The Coop

Choose between a pressure washer of a hose. The high-pressure water from the hose helps to remove fine dust from the coop floor, walls, nesting boxes, and housing.

The water emitted with force from the hose softens suspended and solid dirt.

Pay extra attention to corners and places where dirt accumulates. For stubborn and compacted dirt, use a scrub brush to thoroughly clean it.

4. Scrape The Dirt Again

Wipe off all standing water and get rid of dirt and manure. It is easier to remove them now as they become softer. Scrape the barn and wipe the water well outside the barn door or allow it to run through the barn drain.

5. Use A Detergent Solution For The Final Cleaning

You can use any natural cleaner to be safe for the chicken. It is not recommended to use chemical cleaners because they often contain toxic detergents.

The residue of chemicals remains stuck and harms the chicken later. Vinegar would be a good natural and effective option as it is very cheap.

Prepare A Vinegar Solution For Cleaning

Take white vinegar, take a bucket, and mix equal quantities of vinegar and water. You can increase the amount of vinegar to double the water in case of heavy dirt. You can also mix vinegar with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to get a stronger cleaner that crushes tough dirt.

You can put drops of any essential oil, such as peppermint oil or lavender oil, to cover the pungent smell of vinegar. You can also use apple cider vinegar, as it has a sweet smell because it results from the fermentation of apples.

In any case, if you do not have any of these additives available to you. Do not worry, as the smell of vinegar will not remain for more than an hour, and after that, you will not find any trace of it.

Cleaning With Vinegar Solution

On the wet floor, pour the vinegar evenly over the wet floor, increasing it in heavily soiled areas. Then take a brush or broom and scrub the dirt vigorously.

After cleaning and sweeping all the dirt, the barn must be rinsed one last time with clean water, then wipe the water and dry the barn well.

5. Coop Ventilation

Once the barn is cleaned well, ventilation and exposure to the sun comes. Open all the windows and doors of the coop to let in sunlight and the outdoors. This helps to dry out the coop and kills any remaining microbes.

It is also recommended to place waterers and feeders after cleaning them in the sun. where the sun acts as a disinfectant, it kills any microbes.

6. Place Clean Bedding

Apply a generous layer of new, cleaned bedding to absorb moisture and dry the barn. You can choose appropriate bedding material such as straw or wood shavings.

It is preferable to remove the top layer of excrement every day, so that the barn remains clean continuously. if not available, then at least once a week.

Also, consider establishing a cleaning routing to maintain the cleanliness and comfort for chicken overtime.

Also, if you’re one of those video lovers, here is a short video that video the water and disinfectant cleaning method:

Method 2: Cleaning The Barn With Organic Bedding

There is another common method for cleaning chicken coops, and many breeders may prefer it. It goes by adding organic bedding. This is done by adding layers of organic bedding such as sawdust or straw on the floor of the coop continuously every day to absorb the moisture resulting from the excretion of birds.

It is a method with the additional advantage that, during the process of adding renewable layers of bedding, it becomes rich and fertile with chicken droppings, making it a useful organic fertilizer for the soil of your garden. Here is a quick a video that demonstrates the process:

Keep in mind that it is preferable to use straw as an organic bedding, better than sawdust because it is more healthy and less toxic.

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