Chickens are gross!
My dad and his 9 siblings were raised on a farm in Idaho. 10 kids is a lot of mouths to feed, which meant lots of food to prepare. As on most farms, they raised a lot of it themselves, including chickens…LOTS of chickens.
As a child, one of my dad's most dreaded jobs on the farm was cleaning the coop in the Spring. The hens spent all snowy winter hunkered down, roosting and pooping. Straw was piled higher each month creating a sloppy, mucky mess by the end of the season. He'd take a rake with the longest handle he could find, and hold his breath as he drug it through the mush, clearing out a mountain of chicken doo doo.
Fast forward to my childhood, we also raised all kinds of animals from horses, to cows, to our pigs Hammy and Baconator. But NEVER chickens, because “chickens are stinky and gross”.
Once I became a mom I knew I wanted these experiences for my own kids, and something about chickens was pulling me, in a fowl way. Against my fathers’ best advice, I dove head first into chickening, researching breeds, bedding, and everything in between. I raised my flock and loved them dearly.
My dad and I (neighbors at the time) swapped farm chores when either one of us went out of town. You know what this means for Papa, time to face the chickens. What he quickly realized is that with a nice, dry, sandy coop, chickening was a breeze! A simple sandy sift every few days and you’re good to go.
Dot, our Swedish Flower Hen who runs the roost, with Poof, our Sapphire Jewel in close second. Both Meyer Hatchery girls
So what’s my number 1 tip on how to keep a lovely, clean, chicken coop? SAND!
Reason 1: It lasts forever. You never have to clean out old sand, just add a little here and there as it depletes.
Reason 2: It is extremely easy to clean. Rake, sift, dump! More on how I clean my coop HERE
Reason 3: It keeps your hens clean - it’s a natural dust bath.
Reason 4: It’s affordable. Most construction companies will drop off loads of sand for a fraction of the cost of other bedding options.
Reason 5: It doesn’t get mushy, muddy, or mucky if it gets wet.
So yes, as with any living thing left in a barn for months, chickens can be gross, but I assure you, mine are NOT!
Note: Please be sure to use a coarse sand like arena or construction sand, NOT play sand as the fine dust can harm your chickens. - more one that HERE
Update : I’m happy to report that shortly after experiencing my sandy chicken coop bliss, my dad took the leap and is now a member of the crazy chicken people community, and loves his ladies dearly.
