If you want to enjoy your chickens and keep them happy and healthy you must keep their living area clean. It is a lot of work, but worth the time. Why have chickens if you aren't going to take good care of them? Mine have never had any fleas or worms. (Except the ones they catch)!
Leaving uneaten food in the feeders or the pen overnight will bring rodents and snakes. It only takes a few minutes to clean up after you put them in the coop. Do not leave the waterer out either. I wash theirs with soap and water every day just to make sure there are no poopsies on it. All the cleaning equipment like the shovel, broom, rake and cleaning supplies are all kept in one place and just used for them.
When the entire coop is cleaned out, usually once a week, I sprinkle mite & flea powder in the coop and the nest boxes before putting down fresh hay. There is nothing sadder than seeing a chicken pecking itself bloody just to get rid of parasites.
I use diatomaceous earth in their nest boxes and around the pen. They never have mites or worms. I do not clean each week. I hear some people use the deep litter method and only clean the chicken house once a year. But, I am sure your chickens appreciate your habits.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip! I'm retired, so I have plenty of time on my hands. I do use the deep litter method in the winter. It gets below 0 here sometimes and
Deleteit's hard to keep the coop spotless. I do power wash the entire coop twice a year - in the fall and in the spring. Old chicken poop is like cement!