Across one side of our coop my brother built a platform about hip-high. (This would be the "pit".) He built a frame the same size and attached 1"x2" welded wire to it. For roosting he attached 1"x2"s across the length of the frame. He hinged the frame about six inches above the platform. It rests on 2x4 pieces along the sides of the platform. A hook is attached to the front and the eye is attached to a rafter. We put shavings on the platform. When cleaning the frame is simply lifted up and hooked. The platform is tall enough to put the wheelbarrow under, so the poop can be scraped off into it.

This site may help: http://world.std.com/~kcl/chickencoop.html

Steve

I only have 25 chickens, so I don't know how well my method would work for a bigger flock, but I only clean my chicken house once a year.

I do the "deep litter" method--straw is piled a foot or more deep on the floor. Once a week or so, I scatter scratch grain on the straw, and the girls thoroughly turn the straw, allowing it to dry.

I add straw once in while to keep the level up, and in the spring, I shovel it all out into the garden--nicely composted chicken manure and straw. (I put a vinyl remnant on the floor, so it is easy to clean.)

The only time I have any odor is if it rains several days in a row, and the straw gets wet. Another half bale tossed in usually solves the problem.

The thick straw also helps insulate the house.

I follow the same method as sparrowgrass (no relation *L*), and it works beautifully, no bad smells unless it gets really wet, and then I just muck it out. :) I use straw, not shavings, as shavings tend to mat down and get very nasty and straw seems to air out better. Straw also has a naturally 'sweet' smell, and the chicks love to scratch through it when it's fresh, so things get turned over better.

Velvet ~:>

I understand about adding more shavings except that I have an unbelievable amount of poop in my coop (very poetic huh?).

Picture approximately 200 chickens in a 240 sq ft coop. Cleaning the coop has become a full-time job and I just can't fit in another one.

I've been reading about roosting pits and trying to figure out if that would make my life easier or harder. I figured if most of the poop landed in an easy to empty area I could do that once a week instead of mucking.

Ours is like the one Kimberlee has, except that ours is hinged to open on the outside of the coop or house. Hook and eye are connected on the outside wall when the poop scooping is going on.

I'm glad to read about straw vs shavings. I do have one question about it though. I have added 3 ducks to the hen house. They have their own duckie area under the nest boxes for sleeping. I've been using pine shavings on the floor. It does get wet in one corner where the duck watering container is located. I'm worried about mold and mildew. I know it's winter and so not much mold or mildew would be expected, but this is about 3 ft.beneath the infra-red heating light that I use for general heating of the coop/house. It keeps the water from freezing too. (The water is not hot!) Am I on track here? Or should I change to straw?
I'll go for the greatest number of votes on this one! :-)

I have automatic waterers in my coop that are fastened to the wall and I finally bought a sweater box to put underneath them. Shavings + water = completely disgusting. They did enough splashing while drinking that the shavings underneath were always wet, moldy and VERY stinky, not to mention the wood floor underneath wasn't too happy either.

So....you might want to put their water bowl inside a larger container just to keep the water from spilling out onto the shavings.

Have you thought about putting in a trough under the roosting pit that is on wheels that can be pulled out as often as needed to be emptied on your garden area? I use two halves of a plastic 55gal drum that I bolted together end to end and put 2 2x4 "axle"s on, (like the old "I" beam go-carts). For my flock of 100 birds these will last for about two months before I have to dump them into the compost pile. Also, if you have any saw mills in your area they usually give the sawdust away at no charge. I use a lot of sawdust for bedding material and compost medium to keep the odors down and if I had to pay for it I'd go broke. If you don't have a saw mill handy, check with your local lumber yard. Some of them cut pieces of wood for people. Another place to check is local cabinet shops. I'm sure that there are more places to get the saw dust if you think about what is in your area. Best of luck, Gray Bear

"Picture approximately 200 chickens in a 240 sq ft coop."

Audrey, I don't want to criticize, but your birds may be overcrowded. I've always heard that they need 3 - 4 square feet each. My chicken coop has been reduced to 64 square feet to make room for the geese in the other part, but I only have 15 birds - and I wouldn't care to have more in there, especially in winter when they don't roam far.

With that many chickens in that area, it is no wonder you are having problems keeping up with the poop!

It's OK Maggie, I'm not insulted. What I didn't clarify is that they are only in there for the night. I have an automatic door that opens at 6 am and out they go all day long. I never keep them cooped for any reason because I live in a climate that is pretty mild. However, they poop A LOT at night, as you well know and that's the problem.

I also have a lot of roosting areas - approximately 15, 8' long and there are still some vacancies believe it or not!

Sounds like you have a good set-up, Audrey, and if you don't have pecking or parasite problems they are likely fine at that density at night. The automatic door is a good idea.

I've never used roosting pits, but if I were adding them I think I would want them slanted toward a hatch in the wall so that I could empty them into a wheelbarrow outside the coop. Hope you find a design that works for you.