Design housing for easy cleaning access

Build or choose shelters with large access doors, removable panels, or hinged roofs that allow you to reach all interior surfaces for cleaning. Include features like removable dropping boards under chicken roosts and smooth, easily swept floors.

Why It Works

Housing that is difficult to clean gets cleaned less often, leading to manure buildup, ammonia exposure, parasite loads, and disease. A coop where you can stand upright, reach all corners, and remove bedding with a standard shovel gets cleaned regularly because the task is not physically miserable.

Tips

• Walk-in coops are far easier to maintain than small, low-clearance designs
• Removable dropping boards under roosts catch 60-70% of overnight droppings and can be scraped clean daily in seconds
• Linoleum or smooth plywood floors are easier to scrape and sanitize than rough-cut lumber