You may think that keeping a flock of chickens in the back garden is only relevant to those of us hoping to re-enact scenes from the 70s sitcom ‘The Good Life’. In fact, over 700,000 UK homeowners now keep chickens. Not only do they provide a plentiful supply of fresh eggs, but they also teach our children a valuable lesson relating to ‘where food comes from’.
As fun and quirky as they are, chickens can be messy creatures, and without thorough regular cleaning, a dirty hen house can lead to bacterial infections. Don’t let this put you off though, we have some beginner’s top tips, to ensure both your hens and their home remain spick and span…
- A regular clean-out and disinfection of the chicken shed will ensure the living area is free from harmful bacteria and parasites.
- Remove the soiled bedding from the shed and add it to your compost heap.
- Although chicken manure is too strong to be used raw on your flowers or vegetables, it can be composted and converted to “black gold.” If used without composting, it could damage roots and possibly kill your plants.
- Brush out any last remnants of bedding and scrub the coop with soap and water to remove any stubborn dirt and grime.
- Allow to completely dry before spraying the whole coop liberally with RenaSan Antiseptic Spray to ensure 99.9999% of all pathogens are killed.
- Remember to remove and clean water drinkers and feed bowls before replacing them.
- Make up the coop with fresh clean (ideally dust-extracted) bedding.
- And lastly don’t forget to enjoy spending time with your favourite ladies!
If you are looking to start keeping chickens and have questions, comment below and our RenaSan’s resident Chicken keeper Dawn will happily answer.