First weekly clean ... where do I start?

[Millie1]

This is so stupid! We have the girls a week today so I guess i need to give the hen-house (wooden) a good clean this weekend. How much scrubbing do I need to do? I have the Jeyes spray on disinfectant. Does the entire house get washed on the inside each week? Will a good squirt with Jeyes do it - maybe a deckscrub (not that it's that dirty yet ) with water first, then Jeyes then Poultryshield, clean bedding, diatom etc etc. Is that too much for every week or is that what I should be aiming for?

I know, I know ... it should be so basic. Also, the grass area of their run is a bit pongy despite x3 daily poop-scooping. We'll be moving the whole kit and caboodle to the field in the next few days and giving them an electric-fenced area to f/r in ... is there anything I should or can sprinkle on the grass in the meantime to keep the smell down.

Oh and cleaning water/food containers ... can I use Jeyes on them or will I kill me poor birds .

Anything else I need to think off?

Thanks!

Blimey, you are dedicated! I personally wouldnt do a scrub weekly, or even monthly! But then maybe thats just me! I would sweep all the bedding out, brush perches etc and replace. The poos outside will wash away when it rains next, and if the food and water containers are plastic you could put them in the dishwasher, or just scrub them out with a brush. I wouldnt put anything other than washing up liquid in them though. Just be careful what you put in their house, remember, jeyes has a strong lingering smell, would you like to be shut in a confined space with that?

Hi there, don't use Jeyes at all as it's not recommended for poultry use (just read that on the omlet forum!).

I agree with Saggypuss. Can you give their grass area a good old hose down? I use stalosan as a deodorising sprinkle, but can't say what effect it would have on grass.

Try to poo pick the bedding midweek or a little more often when it gets hotter.

Just brush out all the old bedding and wash water container. I use news paper underneath the bedding so normally it can just be lifted out. Only need to give the house a good scrub approx every 6 months.

Is that all? So I don't need to clean the whole lot out every week? I've aubiose in the bottom of the house and I poo pick it every morning. What's in there now, after a week, is absolutely spotless and it seems such a waste to toss it .

The run is another story - despite poo picking multiple times a day it's still smelly but I guess that goes with the territory we'll get the elec fence up in next few days and move them. Did hose it last night but the water pressure isn't great and it didn't go too far!

Uh-oh ... I've just reread your post Saggy ... okay will replace bedding on Sunday but will put less in this time round !

No Jeyes then - yes, it does stink, doesn't it. When should I spray with poultry shield again - keeping in mind I did it last week.

Will wash drinkers/feeders with good old Fairy. This isn't going to be as bad as I'd thought!

On another note, I let the girls out of the run for the first time last night. They love being out in the garden ... although I did worry about our Lab but after a bit of curiousity, she's absolutely fine with them; and they have been chased up and down by one of my 2 yr old DTs who was determined to pat them!! They were out several times today whilst I was weeding (ugh!) and even put themselves to bed tonight - yeah!

Thanks ladies!

Quite honestly, I used to clean my hen house (shed) out when it got stinky! This definitely wasnt weekly! And they didnt often see disinfectant! It didnt seeem to bother the hens! If you are poo picking the house every morning, I wouldnt sweep it out every week, just when it gets really niffy!
I was worried about my dog with my hens, but the first time a broody pekin tried to peck her eyes out, my poor cocker spaniel ran a mile and never went near them again!! Dont let the kids chase them too much, you wouldnt want them to keel over! (or turn round and peck!)
I am so glad you posted, I was dying to hear about your new hens, I am chookless and sad at the moment!

My cats and hens have a respectful distance because the hens are in charge and chase the cats round the garden.

I sprinkle stalosan on the run area, helps keep the niffs down!

Great - Diatom tomorrow after daily poo-pick and that's it .

Dog/children and chickens okay today although dog went for little chicken when she got a fright and took off ... I had to rugby-tackle deaf lab to ground as she didn't hear my anguished 'Nooooooooooooooo'!! All well since and have been in the garden together all afternoon with no problems.

Had DT's 2nd b-day party today ... neice thought it would be good to frighten chickens but was soon put in her place! DT2 very taken with them but knows to come away when we tell her to. The girls themselves loved being out and created a dust-bath in the ditch which the Orp, in particular, had a great time rolling in .

SOCCP ... meant to ask ...what happened your chooks and are you planning to get some more? You really do sound like you should ... soon!!

Millie, my hens just died off gradually. I never replaced the last to go, as my mother bought the house next door, and kept moaning about rats. Apparently, you only get rats because of chickens! The fact that we are surrounded by 100s of acres of farmland which was just harvested when she moved in has nothing to do with it!!!! Anyway, I miss them SOOO much, I decided recently that I have to have some more. Told Mum it was tough if she didnt like it, its my garden so there, and when DP threatened to leave if I got any more animals, I offered to pack his bag for him! I am planning to build a house on stilts and a permanent wired all over, including underground, run with bark chippings on the ground to hopefully deter the rats. Chickens are addictive, and its about time I had another fix!

Ooooh, sounds exciting. When do you hope to get it all together? They're going to have a very luxurious home! As for your Mum's idea that chickens = rats ... she sounds just like my DH and, of course, they're both completely wrong!

Ours are in the garden all day now ... I'm hoping a fox won't discover their whereabouts and really need to get the grass in the field sorted so as we can get the elec fencing up and get them down there where they'll be safer. We'd another close shave with lab and the little chick yesterday - lab doesn't bother unless chick starts to flap and fly. Orp did peck dog the other day. Speaking of said dog, need to go take her to the vet now as have just discovered sizeable growth on her ear.

That's pants for your dog. I hope it's nothing serious. My dog is on borrowed time at the moment with mammary cancer. :-( I suppose the dog thinks it is doing what it is meant to do. Labs retrieve them don't they! I do agree with mum rats come with chickens but where we live it's pretty obvious they are there anyway! As soon as the harvest comes in, the rats come looking for food!
Anyway, tell me about your inherited smallholding, what it like and what's the story? I'm terribly mosey I know, but I would love to hear!