Chicken Keeping Efficiency

Hello All,

At the macro level, what do you do to be as efficient as possible when keeping chickens? I am sure I'm not the only person who likes keeping chickens, but has limited time to take care of them. What do you do to make your chicken keeping chores efficient? (Feeding, Watering, Egg Collecting, Egg washing, Nest Box Cleaning, moving pens, Coop cleaning, etc)

At the specific level, I am looking for a way to be more efficient with my water system and the nesting boxes.

I have included a picture of my water system below. I used an old wheelbarrow frame to create it. I can now move it around much more easily than before. That saves times, but the insides still get gunked up far faster than I would like, and it takes far longer and is far harder to clean with all the small pipes than those traditional plastic waterers you get at Tractor Supply. Thoughts on a faster way to clean? Or a different setup so I can enjoy the cleanliness of poultry nipples, while still being able to keep it clean?

As for the nesting boxes, I have 6 of them, and every couple days I add some clean bedding. They kick straw out too quickly, so I am using wood shavings. The chickens don't sleep in them too much, but when it rains they do leak, so it will get damp and things clump at the bottom on one side. Then every couple weeks I have to take a scraper, scrape out every nesting box individually, then re-apply some DE to ward off mites, and re-apply the bedding. Thoughts on making this more efficient? I thought about maybe some sort of removable bottom panel, but maybe there is a better and more simple answer.

Some questions I have are how many chickens are you keeping, do you have a coop that contains the nesting boxes?

For reference, I have a stationary coop that contains their hanging bucket nipple waterer from PremierOne and three nesting boxes for 10 chickens. The coop doesn't leak so I don't get water in my nesting boxes. I use small animal bedding in my nesting boxes which I occasionally add more bedding to, maybe like once a month. My nesting boxes have a lip on them so the chickens can't easily push everything out. I have never needed to completely empty or scrap the boxes. The waterer gets washed out about once a week, it takes me 5 minutes.

Once a year, I empty to coop and run of debris and add new oak leaves. I collect eggs once a day at 3:00 when I bring them kitchen scraps. My youngest closing them in for the night and checks for more eggs. I don't wash eggs.

The plan is to fence in about an acre for poultry, but currently I just have chickens in a run and I bring them weeds and goodies.

Hi Stacy,
So sorry for not including the number of chickens. I thought I had, but must have edited it out when trying to make everything more clear. I have 30 chickens. 1 rooster and 29 hens.

I built a mobile coop with the nesting boxes hanging off the back. You can just them hanging it off the back. The nesting boxes are just a touch small, 11x11 instead of the recommended 12x12 because somewhere I read that if a chicken can't stand up they wouldn't poop. I have about a 3 inch lip on the front of the nesting boxes to try to hold the material in. I was worried if it was much higher, they wouldn't be able to get in or out easily.

That is interesting you do not have to replace the nesting material as frequently. I remember as a kid we did not replace it as often, and it was inside the coop as well. Maybe the chicken's feet are dryer walking across the bedding from outside? Maybe the dampness from the leaking adds to it? I generally add bedding because the eggs are cracking at a greater rate. Maybe I need to make the nesting box deeper. Have like 6 inches of something under the hen.

My nesting boxes only have a 2" lip, but they also have a perch for the birds to land on before entering the box. I can't tell if your boxes have the same. Looking at the pictures, I would suggest either expanding the roof to cover the nesting boxes or moving the nesting boxes inside.

My nest boxes are outside the coop and have a sloped lid that extends 3" past the boxes on all sides. boxes are attached to the coop with 3" blocks 4" down from lid to permit it to be opened. I only get a trace of water inside if there is a hard blowing rain. The boxes are 12" X 12" with a 3" lip and are floored with 1/2" X 1/2" hardware cloth and I use dried grass clippings for bedding. The chickens 'rework' the bedding and I only have to add more as it sifts through the wire. No actual cleaning unless a chicken poops and then it binds with the grass clippings and can be lifted out in one clump. This has only happened about twice a month, so it is quick and easy.

What do you do to make your chicken keeping chores efficient? (Feeding, Watering, Egg Collecting, Egg washing, Nest Box Cleaning, moving pens, Coop cleaning, etc)

Feeding - I have a chicken feeder (with grill) that holds enough feed to last roughly a week for my hens in their enclosed runs. On Saturdays, it is refilled from feed bags stores in nearby protected cans.

Watering - I'm still tinkering with this one. I have a waterer that will last 3/4 to a full week depending on weather. It is one of those waterers that feed into an open ring for chickens to sip from but it tends to get nasty from their scratching. I've tried raising it up on some stacked bricks but that hasn't solved the cleaning issue.

Egg Collecting - I have a specific egg collecting basket to make egg collecting a breeze. I used to try and stuff them into the tummy pocket of a hoody that I would wear but I have had a few eggs slip out onto the ground from that. The basket does a great job holding a mass of eggs.

Egg Washing - I don't have a good system for this yet. I just accumulate a few days worth and process them in batches on my double sink before distribution.

Nest Box Cleaning- I'm lucky enough that I don't have to clean the nesting boxes very often. This changes when broody hens decide to occupy the space which then requires some spot cleaning. I utilize pine shavings and will replace soiled spots and then add a thin layer on top as needed.

Moving Pens- I have portable paddock fencing that I will move as needed. This is entirely based on how the hens effect the space they occupy. In the summer, I am moving the fencing weekly in order to mow the grass so it is not reliant on the chickens behavior.

Coop Cleaning - The deep litter system is awesome! I will clean the coop biannually, a couple hours spent for both. The way my coop is designed, I can scrape the old bedding into a wheelbarrow rather easily. I can then climb up into the coop and give a once over to the structure cleaning up messes. It is them refilled with shavings and turned over to the hens.