Why A Seasonal Routine Beats One Big Spring Clean

Most keepers start out with good intentions and a scrubbing brush, then discover that a single heroic clean in April does very little for the twelve months that follow. Chickens live close to the ground, produce droppings constantly, and breathe in whatever is floating about in their bedding. A coop that is cleaned little and often keeps ammonia levels down, discourages red mite, and makes the whole flock calmer — birds that are dry and comfortable lay better and fight less.

Think of the year as four jobs rather than one. Each season brings a different challenge: spring is for stripping back and starting fresh, summer is for parasites, autumn is for wet weather and wild birds, and winter is for dryness and air quality. Work with the calendar and the heavy days never pile up on top of you.

Spring: The Deep Clean That Sets Up Your Year

As soon as the worst of the frost has gone, empty the coop completely. Remove feeders, drinkers, nest box liners and loose perches, then scrape every surface with a stiff scraper before you touch a brush. Dust first, wash second — brushing dry droppings just spreads them through the air.

• Wash the interior with warm water and a little poultry-safe detergent, paying attention to the corners, the ends of perches and the underside of the pop hole where mites hide.
• Check timber for splits, lifted felt and loose screws. Red mite lives in cracks, so a smear of sealant or a fresh coat of non-toxic coop paint removes thousands of hiding places.
• Let everything dry thoroughly in the sun for a full day before you refill. Damp bedding is far more damaging than a little dust.
• Scrub drinkers weekly from now on — biofilm in a drinker is one of the most common causes of recurring digestive upsets.

Finish with a good 5–10 cm layer of dust-extracted wood shavings, hemp or chopped straw. Deep litter done well composts gently and stays warm; deep litter done badly smells of ammonia, so turn it each week and top it up.

Summer: Little And Often, With An Eye On Mites

Warm weather speeds everything up. Red mite can complete a generation in about a week, so from May to September you want eyes on perches every few days. Run a white tissue along the underside of a perch — grey ash-like smears turning red when crushed means you have a problem, not a shadow.

• Lift droppings daily if you can manage it; it takes three minutes and transforms the smell.
• Change nest box bedding weekly and dust the box with a silicate-based powder, wearing a mask to avoid breathing it in.
• Keep a shallow tray of water or a covered dust bath available, and keep it clean — standing water breeds flies and mosquitoes.
• Ventilate generously at high level, but keep roosting birds out of direct draughts.

If you find mites, treat the coop twice, seven days apart, and remember that the birds themselves carry some stages on their feathers. A repeat treatment breaks the cycle.

Autumn: Wet Weather And Wild Bird Visitors

British autumn rain turns runs to mud and mud to a health problem. Mud on feet and feathers carries bacteria straight into the coop, so put down hardwood chips, bark or paving around the pop hole and re-site feeders off the ground.

This is also the season to think carefully about the garden birds you love. Chaffinches, tits and sparrows are welcome at a feeder, but they carry diseases your flock does not need — salmonella, coccidia and the viruses behind avian influenza. Keep hanging feeders and bird baths at least 10 metres from the coop and run, never hang one over an outdoor pen, and clean your feeders monthly with hot soapy water and a dilute disinfectant. Wash your hands between topping up the feeder and handling your hens.

Winter: Dry Bedding And Fresh Air

Cold is rarely the killer; damp and stale air are. A coop that is sealed tight to keep the warmth in will trap moisture from droppings and breathing, and that is where respiratory trouble starts.

• Keep ventilation open at the highest point, ideally covered to keep rain out.
• Change bedding more often than you think necessary — a barrow-load every week or two in a small coop.
• Check the roof and floor for leaks before the first hard frost, and pay attention to muddy, frozen ground at the pop hole.
• Store bedding somewhere dry. Mouldy shavings can cause serious breathing problems.

Choosing And Using Disinfectants Safely

Detergent and disinfectant are not the same thing, and disinfectant cannot work on a dirty surface. Always clean first, then disinfect, then allow everything to dry completely.

• Choose a product approved for poultry housing and follow the label dilution exactly — stronger is not better and can burn feet and lungs.
• Respect the contact time on the label; most need ten minutes of visible wetness to work.
• Remove birds, feed and drinkers from the coop while you work, and rinse food-contact items with clean water afterwards.
• Wear gloves and open the door for ventilation. Never mix products together.
• Compost soiled bedding properly, and keep the muck heap away from the run and from any surface water.

Do all of this and you will notice the difference by the end of a season: drier bedding, quieter birds, fewer vet visits, and a garden where your hens and your wild birds each keep to their own side of the fence.