Secret to Maintaining an Odor Free Chicken Coop

I’m happy that I have been maintaining an odor free chicken coop, for a lot of reasons.  One good reason is for my health and good pleasure.  I am not a fan of unpleasant odors.  But it’s also important for the health of my flock.  Chickens have much smaller and very sensitive lungs.  A dirty coop and enclosed run can cause respiratory infections if there is a buildup of mold and ammonia from accumulated droppings and damp bedding.  This can lead to stress, poor health, reduced egg production, as well as illnesses to humans.  

People can contract histoplasmosis through breathing in microscopic fungus, which can happen while cleaning the chicken coop. It’s important to keep the coop well ventilated, especially while you’re cleaning it, and to clear chicken droppings often.  I clean mine daily.  Cleaning everyday makes it easy and only takes 5-15 minutes to do, depending on much time I have available that day, and how detailed I want to be. 

Here’s My Secret to Maintaining an Odor Free Chicken Coop

• Clean it daily.

I have a designated bucket and an old putty knife.  Wearing a pair of rubber gloves, I scrape the poop from the perch bars into the bucket and pick up whatever is on the poop board and toss into the bucket, making sure to remove all bits of poop and wet bedding. 

Next, I use a Dollar Store cloth/rag that I dampen it with mild bleach water, being careful not to use too much bleach as this is too harsh for chickens to breathe.  Although they’re usually outside while I clean.  Wipe the perch bars down, the area in front of the nest boxes, and the walls.  For the harder to reach areas I use a mop once a week.  It saves my back if I don’t have to bend and reach.  

The idea is to go into the coop each day and do a quick pick up and wipe.  

• Treat the bedding

I sprinkle Sweet PDZ Coop Refresher over the top of the bedding.  This is an “all-natural earth mineral that neutralizes ammonia and odors” according to their label, and I would say I agree!  It does a great job.  There is no odor in my coop.  It’s safe for the chickens.  As a matter of fact, zeolite is a beneficial additive to their diet (safe if they eat it) and bedding.

It improves the chickens’ health overall by promoting healthier gut health, reducing ammonia inhalation, enhancing calcium absorption, which is vital to their egg laying and eggshell production.

• Remove, replace and add fresh bedding

Even if I’m short on time I will always add a little extra bedding to keep the area dry for their feet to walk on.  Once a week I remove half the old bedding and add back new.  Twice a year I take all of it out and treat the coop for lice, mites, etc., and then add back new bedding.  I use pine shavings because it does a great job at keeping the floor dry and it smells great.  But if you use something else that is safe for chickens, then yeah, go for it!

• Use nesting herbs

The nicest treat is using nesting herbs in the coop.  I use one made by Farm Party called Hootenanny and it just makes the coop smell so inviting.  It seriously does!  The nesting herbs are made with dried herbs that are safe for chickens, so don’t worry if you see your chickens scratching around looking for some of the pieces.  And some of these herbs are a natural bug deterrent, which gives another good reason to add it to my routine.

Just to sum everything up:  Remove the poop and give the perch bars a quick wipe daily.  Keep the bedding dry and fresh by replacing it frequently and adding zeolite for ammonia control and moisture absorption.  Make the Dollar Store your best friend.  It’s the best place to find buckets, mop, broom, rags, etc. for cleaning your coop.

Have I missed anything?  What do you do for maintaining your coop?

Karole Spencer

I fell in love with chickens and bees from the very first moment I got started with them. But I did not have any mentors to help me troubleshoot issues as they would arise. So, I did my own research from credible sources to get the facts needed to keep a healthy flock and apiary. My website is all about sharing my research for everyone else to enjoy and benefit from.

See Full Bio