I was cleaning my coop all wrong for a year until a vet visit in Boise

The vet asked about my cleaning routine and told me my deep pine shavings were trapping moisture under the top layer, creating a perfect spot for bacteria. I switched to a thinner layer and change it every 5 days now. What's your weekly cleaning schedule look like?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_michael2mo ago

Honestly that moisture trap thing is such a sneaky problem. Do you check the actual floor under the bedding when you clean? I found that even with thin layers, dampness was getting into the wood boards. Now I sprinkle a bit of stall dry or even cheap agricultural lime on the floor before I put down fresh shavings. It makes a huge difference for keeping things dry and cutting down on smell.

anna_hill2mo ago

Tbh @the_michael, that lime trick works but you gotta be careful with it. Agricultural lime is super dusty and that powder can really bother their lungs when they sniff around the floor. Stall dry is the safer bet for sure. Honestly, I found just making sure the base layer of shavings is really thick does more than anything. The dampness soaks down into that instead of hitting the boards. If the wood is already wet though, you might need to pull everything out and let it air dry for a day.

colemartinez2mo ago

Yeah that moisture trap thing is real... I had a similar problem with my rabbit hutch last winter. The hay on top felt dry but the plywood floor underneath was basically rotting from dampness. Ended up having to replace the whole bottom panel.