Keep Chicken Nest Boxes Clean After Hatching

Keeping a chicken coop clean is important to avoid bugs, mould, illness, and infections. Chicken owners recommend cleaning out nest boxes at least once a week, or every few days when the birds are not laying, and deep cleaning the coop 2-3 times a year. To clean a chicken nest box, you should remove all the soiled bedding and add it to your compost pile, scrape out any remaining poop, and then rinse the box with a mild detergent and water, or a mixture of vinegar and water. After rinsing, the box should be allowed to air dry before being replenished with new bedding materials.

How to clean out chicken nest boxes

Remove all nesting material, scrub with mild detergent and water

When cleaning out a chicken nest box, it is important to remove all the nesting material. This includes any straw, shavings, sand, rice hulls, and other insulating matter. You should also rake or shovel out all the chicken poop. If you have aspen nesting pads, you can fluff them to check for poop and remove any dirty bedding.

After removing all the nesting material, scrub the inside of the nest box with a mild detergent and water. You can also use a mixture of vinegar and water for cleaning. Rinse the box and allow it to air dry.

To maintain a clean chicken nest box, it is recommended to clean out the soiled bedding and add it to a compost pile on a weekly basis. You can also use products like Coop to Garden, an organic compost accelerator, to help break down chicken litter more effectively.

In addition to regular maintenance, it is important to deep clean the nest boxes a few times a year. This involves taking the boxes out of the coop, scrubbing them with hot, soapy water, rinsing them, and allowing them to air dry.

Use natural products like Nesting Box Blend, Poultry Protector, DooKashi, and vinegar

Natural products can be used to clean out a chicken nest box after hatching. Nesting Box Blend, Poultry Protector, DooKashi, and vinegar are all effective options.

First, remove all materials from the nesting box, including any poop, broken egg matter, straw, and shavings. If the weather permits, you can then clean the box with Poultry Protector or a white vinegar and water mixture. Lightly rinse the box and allow it to air dry.

After cleaning, you can replenish the nesting box with bedding or insulating materials of your choice, such as straw, shavings, sand, or rice hulls. Finally, you can add Nesting Box Blend to finish. This blend contains certified organic eucalyptus leaves, wormwood, and tansy, which provide a natural aroma and help with pest control.

In the winter, a thorough waterless cleaning can be done, and the use of Nesting Box Blend and Diatomaceous Earth can help with lice, mites, and other insects.

DooKashi is another natural product that can be used to eliminate odours and the ammonia smell that lingers around chicken poop. Simply sprinkle it in the nesting box to get rid of any foul odours.

It is important to keep the chicken nest box clean to prevent infections of the oviduct in hens. Regularly picking out manure and urates when collecting eggs, and adding fresh shavings to the box, can help maintain hygiene. Additionally, preventing hens from sleeping in the nests can reduce the frequency of cleaning, as they tend to only poop in the nesting boxes if they sleep in them at night.

Clean at least once a week, removing manure/urates when collecting eggs

Keeping your chicken coop clean is important. Hens can get infections of the oviduct from dirty nest boxes. Therefore, it is good practice to clean at least once a week, removing manure/urates when collecting eggs.

To clean your chicken coop, first, rake or shovel out all the poop, shavings, straw, and insulating matter (straw, shavings, sand, rice hulls, etc). You can also use a broom to sweep away any remaining dirt or dust. Be sure to remove any spider webs from the roof, rafters, roosts, and doorways. After removing all the dirt and dust, you can deodorize the coop with DooKashi, which will eliminate any foul smells.

When cleaning the nest boxes, it is important to remove any dirty bedding and add it to your compost pile. You can also use a product like Coop Recuperate to keep the bedding dry and fresh and protect the chickens from flies and other bugs. In addition, you can use natural products like Nesting Box Blend, Poultry Protector, Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth, and vinegar to keep the nest boxes clean and fresh.

To prevent chickens from sleeping in the nest boxes, you can try placing them on the roost after dusk or blocking the boxes before dusk. You can also try using a deeper lip on the nest box to hold in the nesting material or adding a fake egg to the nest.

By following these steps and cleaning your chicken coop and nest boxes at least once a week, you can provide a healthy and comfortable environment for your chickens and avoid any infections or illnesses.

Deep clean 2-3 times a year to prevent bugs, mould, and illness

Keeping your chicken coop clean is important to avoid bugs, mould, and illness. While regular maintenance is important, it is also necessary to deep clean the coop 2-3 times a year.

Firstly, remove all the contents of the coop, including any bedding, shavings, straw, and manure. Use a rake or shovel to do this. You can compost all the removed material, or bag it up for the trash. Next, use a broom to sweep away any spider webs from the roof, rafters, roosts, and doorways. Also, sweep or dust down the walls to remove any remaining webs, dust, or dander.

After removing all the dirt, you can use a coop deodorizer to eliminate any lingering odours. You can also use natural items such as Poultry Protector, Diatomaceous Earth, and vinegar to clean the coop and nesting boxes. Rinse the coop with a mixture of vinegar and water, and allow it to air dry. You can also sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth on top of bedding materials to help with lice, mites, and other insects.

In the winter, a thorough waterless cleaning will usually suffice, and you can use Diatomaceous Earth to keep the coop fresh until spring.

Block the box before dusk to prevent chickens from sleeping in it

Keeping chicken coops and nest boxes clean is important to avoid bugs, mould, illness, and infections. It is recommended to clean out the nesting boxes at least once a week or every few weeks, depending on how messy they are. This involves raking or shovelling out all the poop, shavings, straw, and insulating matter, as well as removing spider webs and dusting the walls.

To prevent chickens from sleeping in the nest boxes, it is advisable to block the boxes before dusk, after the chickens are done laying for the day. This can be done by nailing a single nail to each corner of the row of boxes and attaching wire fencing to the nails, creating a removable barrier. Another method is to simply place the chickens on the roosts after dusk and ensure the roosts are positioned higher than the boxes to encourage the chickens to roost.

If you are cleaning the nest boxes after hatching, it is important to remove all the soiled bedding, scrub the boxes with hot soapy water, and rinse and dry them before adding new bedding. You can also use natural cleaning products like Poultry Protector, white vinegar, and Nesting Box Blend to keep the boxes fresh and aromatic.

Frequently asked questions