How do I keep my chickens clean?
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Chickens | 200 comments
Chickens are not naturally clean creatures, unlike the story book ones. Do you remember them? Clean living hens, wearing spotted scarves and venturing out to the market with a basket hooked over a wing and a clutch of chicks close by.
Real life chickens will foul their chicken house and quite often foul the nesting box. The only chicken that I have known to actively ‘clean’ her house was Mrs Boss. When the guinea fowl keets hatched she pulled all the hay from her nest out of their house in the ark. The more clean hay and woodchips I added the more she pushed them into their run. After a couple of weeks, I admitted defeat. The keets slept under Mrs Boss’ wings, on bare boards. I could never understand why she did this.
If chickens are not cleaned out regularly their droppings can harbour and spread disease. Droppings in the nesting box can foul the eggs. Remove any droppings immediately from the nesting box when you see them.
There is also the question of chicken mites. In warmer weather, mites can breed like wildfire in a house that is not treated regularly. They lay their eggs in dark nooks and crannies in the house and are at their most active at night. They bite the chickens and these bites can become infected.
An imaginative Estate Agent might describe our hen house as,
“A Canadian style two storey lodge. Lower floor family room with traditional wooden slatted staircase leading to spacious communal bedroom for 8 plus with half mansard ceiling and door to cosy penthouse nesting box.”
It gets a good cleanout once a week. And a top to toe super valet and repair in the Spring and Autumn.
If you are canny, the weekly cleanout for an average sized house (ours is designed to accommodate 6-8 Maran hens) takes about twenty minutes, often it is completed in ten.
The trick to quick and easy cleaning is to store everything that you might need within a few feet of the chicken house. We keep our chicken consumables in two large barrels in the run. One holds the bedding the other contains sprays, powders, oyster shells, grit and everything that a chicken keeper might need. These storage bins are also popular with the flock as they have another vantage point on which to stand and observe the world.
Our chicken feed is stored in the boot of Danny’s car and in a large aluminium grain store in the garden. Along with the wild bird and Min Pin food.
Generally I pull on my chicken cleaning gloves at midday when the flock are out an about in the run. Initially I spray the inside of the house with a decent anti mite spray. I close the door to the house as I am not sure how safe the spray is for the flock (although it is marked suitable for an aviary with residents). While the spray wafts through the house I collect all the stuff that I need from the barrels. woodchips, fresh hay and mite powder.
The old woodchips, hay and droppings are swept into the chicken run dustpan and go into their bucket (this was sold to me as a nappy bucket and has a lid). This lid is handy as the bucket can sit happily inside the run until it is full.
Once all debris has been removed, I spread wood chips on the floor of the house. These are great as they absorb moisture and make the chicken cleaning process much easier. They are available in enormous chunky packs. and a pack lasts for months. I lay a layer of woodchips in the nesting box topped with a thickish layer of hay. My mum recommended hay for the nests as mites can breed easily in the hollow strands of straw. The hens fashion the hay into nests very quickly, even if they are off lay.
Once fresh chips and hay have been spread, I return to the barrels for oyster shells and grit. I used to put these in a nifty container in the run, now I cast them just before I open the gates to get out. The flock dives for these and before they have discovered that they are not deluxe grain mix I am the other side of the wire. Poultry need grit. Ours find this in the back wall of the run. If yours don’t have access to a wall don’t forget to provide them with grit, if you are feeding them seeds and corn as it essential for breaking down the husks in their gullets.
Chickens are fine on woodchips alone and I have seen many happy hen houses that just have newspaper spread on the floor. Once you find an effective way to keep your chickens clean that suits you, use it on a weekly basis. You and your chickens will bloom.
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Louise and all Biddy-lovers…
So glad she’s all better… I’m a bit concerned though in putting her back with the flock before evidence of full recovery due to possible contamination… Even a “cold” in chickens can be bad…
In scouting around for info on “Battery Hens,” (wasn’t sure of the term) I found this site http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-battery-hens.htm which is enlightening about the possible ills these hens are prone to — especially since their “normal” diet has included antibiotics all their Biddy lives.
I hope all will read the article. “Forewarned is forearmed.”
What do I know though… I’m jest an ol’ Country Gal!
Blessings — and Cheers to all Critter lovers… ‘specially Biddy Lovers!
MuleMarm
www.BunkhouseBooks.com
hi fn and mulemarm
thanks so much for your advice, i got up this morning pepared for the worst and to isolate and give tlc, my chicken was slow coming out of coop but when she did she seemed loads better, i decided to leave her with the others as her eye had cleared up and she seemed to be breathing normally. i have just got home from work and she is back to her normal self, eating drinking etc…hooray!! so maybe a cold???? i will be keeping a close eye though just in case it returns.
Does anyone use Citrocidal? i’ve been told its good as a natural antibiotic? also cider vinegar in water for a natural wormer?
thanks again for the advice
louise x
SickChicks, wrinkled eggshells, and red-mites.
Since this is a bit late on the Sick Chick (Louise please see below) will remind of my September 9 suggestion for mites: wood ash baths!
Also, the wrinkled eggs may be lack of calcium. I save my eggshells, parch in the warm oven until light brown — and so they can’t taste “egg” — crush them in a plastic bag and throw out to them. Also, you can buy the oyster shell !)
I hope you notify the seller on that Sick Chick. He may have something going through his flock. (And, perhaps he should replace this one… tho that is a personal call on your part.)
Above ALL give all poultry plenty of clean water every day.
I would also put a few fruit and veggie scraps out… Cabbage is healthful.. and citrus fruit will give her some natural antibiotics, such as Vitamin C. Onions and garlic are good natural antibiotics.
With all your TLC, maybe she’ll make it.
Blessings,
MuleMarm
Hi Polly
We got some of these when I was feeding the hens to much vegetables which they preferred to the layers pellets.
There is information on strange eggs in my article here
https://www.cottagesmallholder.com/strange-eggs-758
Can someone tell me why I am getting the occasional wrinkled egg? We have 6 ex battery hens who have been with us 6 weeks. They are very healthy and happy seeming. They are fed a mix of baby chick crumb and layers pellets (more pellets as we go on, from next week no more crumb). They are outside on gravel which has lots of growth through it so I am thinking they get enough grit. They get scraps in the afternoon only, and are eating their normal feed at an astonishing rate so should be getting a good balanced diet. We are getting loads of eggs too… averaging 5 a day.
Any suggestions very appreciated.
hi fn
thanks for the advice will isolate her asap and give her some tlc, you have kind of confirmed what i thought to be honest. will let you know the outcome……keep your fingers crossed for me!!
Hi Louise
I’m not experienced enough too give you the complete answer. However this has happened to baby chicks that I’ve reared. She has a respiratory disorder; it could be a virus so isolate her immediately. Put her in a box with some heat (a hot water bottle would do under lots of layers of newspaper so she doesn’t get burnt). Feed her seed soaked in lots of honey (fresh and local is best – it’s a natural antibiotic) and have fresh water available.
It’s fairly unlikely that she will not survive but she might have a chance. Ideally she would have antibiotics from a vet. But this way you are giving her a fighting chance.
Hugs that it will turn out O.K.
HEEEELLLLP!!! I have a sick chicken
I
picked my 4 girls up on sat, they have been great until today…. 1 has got a runny eye and seems to be breathing through its mouth, also very lethargic. What do i do?? no vets near us specialise in poultry, any advice please?
thanks
Dear Cluck-keeping Friends,
As for the flock pecking each other… I finally created an “infirmary.” (Remembering my Mama saying that once they bring blood, they’ll stay after their victim.)
My Ladies seem to get into trouble a lot… what with the “waiting for winter” covers for the hen-house windows I keep stored behind the ancient chest deep-freeze in which I keep their feed, and the wire inside door I had propped open. They can go forward and get wedged — leaving their hind-end and other parts temptingly exposed for aggressive abusers until I put them up for the night and discover their plight.
I found one pullet bleeding from pecking in three places on her anatomy… I isolated her in my not-in-use brooder room. Then discovered a completely de-feathered leg on another pullet. (She had apparently gotten free before the perps brought blood!)
I added to the infirmary, another, who has a drooping wing — obviously broken — who seemed to be doing alright, but exposed under-wing had been pecked.
I add Flax seed to their feed supply, to encourage good health and re-feathering.
The trio is happy as can be.
I keep old fruit, etc. as a treat for the evening when I lock the flock into the hen-house safe from night marauders in my area — fox, raccoon, skunk, coyotes, etc.
When they must be confined in crowded conditions — such as when I’m working on the outside pens, and have to keep them in the hen-house — to avoid the inevitable boredom, I hang a cabbage so they have to jump to reach it.
Hang a wire from the ceiling with a large screw-in “eye-bolt.” I screw the screw part into the cabbage and laugh at them jumping and batting their new “toy” about!
(Cabbage seems especially healthful for occasional use. I discovered that pure fresh-juiced cabbage juice stopped my sciatic pain!)
Hope some of this is helpful!
Blessings, MuleMarm
PS from MuleMarm
After reading more of all that cleaning and ridding the Chicken house of mites, etc., I’m afraid I’d go out of the Cluck business if I had to do all that! (Scrubbing Native Rock walls and dirt floor would be a bugger!)
I do everything with all natural products… even kill termites with 20 Mule Team Borax! (DeToxing now from over use of Pesticides at the job I just left.)
You might check with http://www.getipm.com/thebestcontrol/bugstop/index.htm
or Google “bug stops here”… Free PDF book download is my “pest-bible”.
I think you might use Diatomaceous Earth (food grade) to dust the infestations and be done with it — but check it out. I’ve use it in mule feed, dog; cat; human parasites… have not researched it for chickens.
Blessings, MuleMarm