Spring clean your hen house

Plus get ready for next year's London Marathon to support rescued hens

- 

We've welcomed the arrival of spring, and our hens are enjoying longer, lighter days in the back garden or paddock which brings us much joy and means it's the perfect time to give your hen house a deep clean.

So grab your Marigolds, throw on some scruffy clothes and prepare to get stuck in. The tools we'd recommend are a robust dustpan and brush, small scrubbing brush, paint scraper, bucket of hot water and a chicken-specific cleaning product.

Start, on a dry day, by removing everything from the hen house including all dirty bedding and perches if they are removable. Brush all the ceilings and walls to get rid of dust, dander and cobwebs (we'd recommend wearing a facemask during this bit!).

Your paint scraper is the next essential tool for getting right into the far corners and removing stubborn bits of bedding and poop, and you'll then want to scrub perches and every inch of your hen house with the hot water and cleaner. Then spray everything with a disinfectant and allow the whole house to completely dry before refilling with fresh bedding. A ground and bedding sanitiser will really set your hens up for spring and make everything feel fresh and clean.

If you have a plastic house this makes the whole process somewhat easier as it can be pressure washed but will still benefit from a disinfectant treatment.

Feeders and drinks will benefit from a soak in hot water and disinfectant but please remember to rinse them well and let them fully dry out before re-using.