Chicken Coop Scooper | Zubies Chicken Coop Costa Mesa

Chicken Coop Scooper


When you keep animals... or small humans for that matter... poop is just a part of the package deal. Sorry for saying the p word, I know its rude. But it was inevitable... I have been known to jokingly lament that my life revolves around it.  Diapers, potty training, and coop cleaning. Waste, in all its forms, is a big part of my life right now.  While Ive yet to come up with a magical way to make diapers and potty training a little easier, I have come across a little trick to help out with the chickens addition to the poop party.

Enter, the coop scooper.

But maybe we should back up first.

There are a few different ways to deal with chicken waste.  You have the standard pine shavings, which by all accounts is kind of a pain.

Theres the Deep Litter method.  You just let it all sit and compost right there in the coop.  Ill admit, the lazy side of me reeeeally loved this idea.  However, upon further reading, it appeared to have mixed results, and it seemed it could be tricky to get the right variables all working together to make the Deep Litter method successful. Lots of people love it, but I just didnt feel like experimenting with it. Plus, the Husband-Man really didnt like the idea of not having a floor to the chicken coop to help keep critters and predators out.  I have to admit, with my recent little rat debacle...I have to agree with him.

Then there is the pièce de résistance.  Sand.  Construction sand to be precise.  Think kitty litter, without chemicals. Its brilliant, and I love it.  I first became aware of this amazing litter choice thanks to the lovely Chicken Chick.  Along with all her great info on why its the best bedding choice around, she showed her coop scooper.

It inspired me to make my own, which has been just the best thing.  It works great. It easily removes the nasties and leaves clean sand behind. It makes cleaning out the coop so quick and easy! And today Im going to give you a quick step-by-step on how to make your own!







Supplies:

Rake - Because my coop is small, and Im short, I got a kid leaf rake for $4. Its perfect!
1/4" hardware cloth - scrap piece large enough to cover your rake
Wire cutters
Scrap wire or zip-ties



Instructions:

Step 1:  Lay out your hardware cloth and cut it an inch or so wider than the rake. Then do the same on the other side, so it will fold over the rake.


Step 2: Fold hardware cloth tightly over the rake, and fold over the edges all along the side of the rake.


Step 3: Use wire or zip-ties to secure the hardware cloth at the base of the rake.



And there you have it!  Now go clean your chicken coop with super speed so you can get to all that potty training...or is that just me??





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Chicken Coop Scooper