This lovely barn had been previously occupied by some chickens. The deep bedding method had been used.  As chickens tend to do, they left a bit of a mess!  The owner, planning to get chickens again, decided to do a barn refresh for her new girls.

Much of the bedding was loose, but there was also some hardened chicken manure that had to be scraped pretty thoroughly.  I removed cobwebs from the wall and ceiling, did a thorough shopvac of all the dust, and also cleaned up and organized the ante-room which has feed, bedding, and some cleaning supplies. I also washed all the pans that sit under food and water containers, scrubbed out the waterer, and scrubbed out the small cage (very useful when needing to separate chickens or chicks temporarily). It’s great to do a total refresh once in a while!

This is an excellent setup for chickens.  There are plenty of roosting spots (including the rafters, chickens’ all time favorite), cozy nesting boxes to lay in, off-the-ground watering systems (so the water does not become contaminated), and a chickens-only exit through the back to a yard area protected by electric fence netting. The barn also has good cross ventilation with windows on three sides, as well as air flow coming from the front door.  A well ventilated and clean barn means happy and healthy chickens.

Before

After

The result?

A very happy owner and a palace of a chicken house ready for habitation by happy layers.