How to Keep the Dropping Board Clean
Dropping board is a term used to describe the area directly below the roost bar in a chicken coop. It helps by collecting the manure and keeping it contained so that removal of the chicken manure is easy to complete.
With chores, I always find that the easier they are to complete, the more likely that the chore will get completed. While chickens are sleeping on the roost at night, feces drop from them onto whatever is directly below. Not cleaning up this poopy mess is not adding to the healthy environment you want for your flock.
We Made a Beginner Error!
We did not realize this when we built our coop. The manure dropping into the built in nest boxes below was a disgusting problem. I did not look forward to cleaning that mess up every week. The smell of manure would sometimes get pretty bad and some years the flies were just terrible. I tried to clean up daily so that the task would never grow too large. I thought there had to be a better way.
How I Made the Dropping Board in Our Coop
I placed two wide boards across the top of the nest boxes that sat under the roost bar. These boards would serve as the dropping board. Doing just this helped the problem some, but I still had to clean manure off the dropping board frequently. If I failed to clean the dropping boards daily, flies and odor crept in.
One day I tried laying feed bags on top of the dropping board. The chickens promptly threw the bags on the floor of the coop.
Thinking up a better plan, I smoothed the bags out better, laid them on the dropping board and tucked them in behind the boards, up close to the wall. Pushing the dropping board back to the coop wall anchoring the bags, and keeping them from being pushed to the floor worked better. Now the dropping boards had a lining that was easier to scrape clean.
How To Clean and Change the Dropping Board Liner
Next I generously sprinkle a lime product called First Saturday Lime onto the dropping board liner. This lime product is safe for animals and poultry and is an extra source of calcium for the hens.
On top of the liner I add straw or pine shavings. This adds to the ease of cleanup by absorbing any liquid droppings.
I take three things into the coop for a quick cleanup.
- a bucket
- dust pan
- cat litter scoop
Use the scoop to scrape the mess off the dropping board and onto the dust pan. Dump it into the bucket for easy removal to the compost area. Replace the entire set up when needed. If you purchase feed in paper bags (not the poly bags), you can add the entire layered mess to the compost bin.
What About Poly Feed Bags
If you use poly bags, you will need to scrap off the bags and remove them from the compost material to the trash. Either way, the process is quick. Keeping up with this clean up routine will greatly reduce the odor and flies in the chicken coop.
Alternative Dropping Board Material
We have plenty of empty feed bags every week from feeding the animals on our farm. If you don’t use enough feed bags to try this method, perhaps newspaper would work the same way. Using newspaper, you would have to change it out more frequently than twice a week with the feed bags. You can add newspaper to the compost pile as well. This method might not work for every chicken coop but it has made one job, on our farm, easier to complete.
Messes in the coop are inevitable. Here’s another idea that will help keep your chicken area cleaner.
Peek Into Our Coop
You can watch this video about how the system is set up .
Seems like you are throwing out (to the landfill?) one of the greatest advantages of chickens! As I was reading I thought maybe you were going to take those manure covered feedbag to your compost pile and shake ’em out.
Shanna thank you for pointing out that omission from the post. I edited the writing to include the following
Edited to add : I neglected to point out the the loose droppings are added to the compost before the bags are trashed. Thanks to all who pointed out my omission. We do, of course, use the droppings for compost, but this method keeps the liquid part of the runnier droppings from sticking to the wooden boards. This is the part that is tossed with the bags. The feed bags would have been trashed immediately, if not saved for a second use. Our practices try to reduce or eliminate as much debris and waste as possible. Thank you all for reading and helping me to improve my content clarity.
I’ve heard of people using burlap sacking and placing directly in the garden, but I would be worried about the ‘hot’ manure burning my plants. If you used newspapers it could go in the compost pile rather than tossing in the trash. (I realize you have access to plenty of manure, but for me it’s like gold as I don’t have other manure producers.)
Debra, I realized after seeing some comments from you and others that I was not clear! I edited the post to read as follows
Edited to add : I neglected to point out the the loose droppings are added to the compost before the bags are trashed. Thanks to all who pointed out my omission. We do, of course, use the droppings for compost, but this method keeps the liquid part of the runnier droppings from sticking to the wooden boards. This is the part that is tossed with the bags. The feed bags would have been trashed immediately, if not saved for a second use. Our practices try to reduce or eliminate as much debris and waste as possible. Thank you all for reading and helping me to improve my content clarity.
I scoop up the dropping board using a large feed scoop and a paint scraper. From the feed scoop the droppings go into a empty feed bag which I take to my compost pile once a week. For my 22 chickens it takes me just a few minutes each morning. l hate to put the droppings in the trash when then can be composted.
Thank you I realized I was not clear on the droppings being added to the compost pile and edited the blog post to read
Edited to add : I neglected to point out the the loose droppings are added to the compost before the bags are trashed. Thanks to all who pointed out my omission. We do, of course, use the droppings for compost, but this method keeps the liquid part of the runnier droppings from sticking to the wooden boards. This is the part that is tossed with the bags. The feed bags would have been trashed immediately, if not saved for a second use. Our practices try to reduce or eliminate as much debris and waste as possible. Thank you all for reading and helping me to improve my content clarity.
Can you use pine shavings in the compost as well? I use pine shavings in my chicken coop and hay in the nesting boxes. Both should be able to go into the compost just wondering. Thanks for you interesting article.
Lillian
You might want to be careful about adding evergreen needles to compost: I know there are some trees that have something in their needles that inhibit growth….a protection for them to lessen other vegetation from growing around them and pushing them out. You will note that some trees have nothing growing under them: these are the trees that have growth inhibitors in their DNA to protect them.
You could do a search to find out, but if there are no other plants growing under your trees, chances are their needles have the inhibitor, and probably should NOT be used in a compost pile!
So simple to do, really – and very much worth the effort!
anything to help the chores stay simple and less messy!
I put sand on the poop board and scoop it with a cat litter scoop, takes less than two minutes a day and goes straight into the compost pile.
Heidi i am glad that works for you. In my set up it would not work as all t he sand would fall to the coop floor right away! But there are many ways to tackle this issue thanks for you input – Janet
The key to a clean coop in my opinion is using good litter, like lucerne or sugarcane, which can then be put straight on your garden. Added tip, include garlic stems and wormwood in the litter to prevent pests for your birds! http://bit.ly/18Ijpyv
Thanks for sharing at our Simple Homestead Hop this week.
I love finding ways to save time!!
Great idea 🙂
You might not be familiar with FRP board (Fiberglass Reinforced Board) used commercially on public bathroom walls. I have a local contractor who gave me some scrap pieces. Sprinkle a little sand on it, hoses right off. Works great for me.
Love the idea. Thanks for adding to the conversation!