I will be honest’ deep cleaning the chicken coop is my least favorite chore on the hobby farm.
Spring cleaning is always the worst.
The chickens have spent most of their time in the chicken coop throughout the cold winter, and you can tell. It’s dusty, poopy, and just plain yucky!
I deep clean twice per year, once in the spring and again in the fall, and when I do this, I only need to clean the nest boxes out occasionally through summer.
It’s a time saver.
As for a fresh coat of paint, I don’t paint the chicken coop with every deep cleaning, but it is something I like to do every other year or so.
This year I went with a sky blue on the inside. I am going off the idea, well, possibly an old wives’ tale that claims a sky blue color keeps the bugs away.
Have you heard of this?
I also painted a colorful mural on the back of the coop.
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SUPPLIES USED FOR DEEP CLEANING THE CHICKEN COOP
- Wheelbarrow
- Shovel
- Bristle Broom/Brush
- Large Bucket
- Vinegar
- Water
- Paint Scraper – A paint scraper helps to remove big chunks of chicken poop off the nest boxes if needed. It’s a pretty handy tool when cleaning the coop.
- Diatomaceous Earth -Make sure if using Diatomaceous Earth that it is food grade. Diatomaceous Earth is an insect killer and can also be used in your chicken’s food and water on occassion.
- Pine Shavings – or bedding of your choice. I like to use pine shavings because they are easy to clean, seem less buggy and provide a cozy insulation in the winter months. I also feel there are fewer bug issues with pine shavings.
- Tools For Any Needed Repairs
If no one has been honest with you and you are not aware, chickens can be gross, and there is a lot of dust and ammonia odor in the air when cleaning out chicken coops, make sure you wear a mask when cleaning.
DEEP CLEANING THE CHICKEN COOP
First off, I remove all the junk inside the chicken coop. This junk will include food storage, feed dishes, ya know, all that junk you need for your chickens that you store in your chicken coop.
Once everything is out, I remove the dirty pine shavings from the floor with a shovel and place them into the wheelbarrow.
I also clean all the shavings from the nest boxes. Usually, I end up with three wheelbarrows full of pine shavings that I dump out in our compost area.
Once the coop is clean of the dirty pine shavings, I mix one gallon of vinegar and one gallon of water into a large bucket to wash the walls, floor, and nest boxes.
I dip a small cleaning brush into the bucket of vinegar and water mix and wipe it on the floors and walls that way.
It’s easier on my body versus getting on my hands and knees to scrub a-dub-dub.
The vinegar and water mix is a good choice for cleaning because it is safe for the chickens, safe for you, and a good deodorizer for odor.
I have used bleach in the past, and if you are worried about bacteria, mold, or salmonella in your chicken coop, that is when bleach is ok to use, in my opinion.
It is important to let the coop dry out completely before adding in any new pine shavings, or else the shavings will absorb the moisture, and you’ll be left with damp shavings.
Once the chicken coop is dry, I finish up by applying Diatomaceous Earth all around the floor and nest boxes.
Then, scatter pine shavings. All done! Fresh and clean. TIME TO SHOWER!
Cleaning the coop is a dirty job.
A FRESH COAT OF PAINT
As I mentioned above, I do not apply a fresh coat of paint with every deep cleaning.
I do like to do it every other year or so to freshen things up.
Yes, the chickens will end up pooping on the new paint but it’s still fun to make changes sometimes.
I used Folk Art Craft Paints for the back mural, and I found the blue-colored interior paint in the oops department at Menards.
I should have been more stern with my little white silkie, who would not stay out of the coop area while I was painting.
Thankfully she was cleaned with a little bath and a feather trim.
YOU CAN FIND HER CUTE INSTAGRAM REEL AT THE END OF THIS POST!
We’ve had this particular chicken coop on our hobby farm for about 17 years.
I love giving it makeovers and changing things up.
I also think that keeping it clean is good maintenance.
Happy cleaning, friends!
XOXO
Emily
UPDATE:
This is no longer our chicken coop! We had to rebuild, but the cleaning process is still the same. You can find our new chicken coop in the post WELL, THAT DIDN’T GO AS PLANNED. THE NEW CHICKEN COOP.
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