How to keep the smell down?

[mommy2pnutty]

I clean my coop every 2-3 days just picking the poop. And cleen with water and bleach every month or so. I also rake out the run every two weeks, I guess I could do that more ofien.....Other that that, what can I do to cut down the smell. Its not really bad, the neighbors arn't complaining or anything. But I'd like it to smell better. Also, the floor of my coop is just dirt and I use pine shaving as bedding in the coop.

thanks!

 

[underground chickenman]

Deep litter method. Search that phrase on BYC and Google. You will find lots of info. No fuss, no muss, no smell and no cleaning the coop but about once a year.

UGCM

 

[RL]

I find the coop will only start smelling if it gets wet, so if you can keep it dry you shouldn't have a problem with any bad odors.

I need to replace the roof of my coop; it leaks in heavy rains and with the summer heat it does not take a lot of water in the coop to make it smell like a pig sty. I use sweet PDZ/DE on the floor and mixed in the shavings. This keeps the coop nice and dry and no smells or flies. You can also use Stall Dry which is a clay and DE mix. Sweet PDZ and Stall Dry are used in Horse stalls to help keep them dry and odor free and to extend the life of the bedding. They work really well.

With you having a dirt floor I would make sure you are not getting flooding from the rains and coat the top of the floor with PDZ or Stall Dry – doesn’t need to be a thick coating, just enough to cover the ground and then a good layer of bedding. Keep it dry and it will not smell.

 

[WisconsinGardenChick]

How many chickens do you have? If a large flock in a small space, you may never be able to really get the smell down.

In my (admittedly limited) experience, keeping it really clean is the only way to keep the smell down. I scoop the poop daily, rake the run daily, and sprinkle extra pine shavings on top almost daily. (Instead of starting with deep litter, I use only a few inches, rake daily, and sprinkle more on top. About once a month, I rake the whole lot out and start over.)

Granted, I have only four (the most allowed in our city) in a small coop, so maintenance only takes me about 10 or 15 minutes/day. But I have great neighbors who are very supportive of my chicken-keeping and I want to keep it that way. Plus, I think cleanliness is one of the best things I can do to ensure the health of my chickies.

Wisconsin Garden Chick
http://backyardnestegg.blogspot.com/

 

[jkmiller826]

That's really helpful. Thanks. I'm about to start anew with 4 hens as well.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

Try using food grade DE to help keep things dry and keep the flies from breeding. Our coop (wooden floor) has shavings all over the floor - I clean out the shavings every week or two (most poop is under the roosts - I only take out the poopy areas, not all the shavings) and rake out the run every week or two also. After I add some new shavings, I sprinkle DE in the coop & run. Right now, we have 11 hens & 8 two month old pullets - no smell or flies at all.

 

[Judy]

Pellted lime is cheap and works well.

 

[cybercat]

You need better bedding. Pine shaving are not that great but the pine pellets are much better. They come as horse bedding or wood stove pellets and break down to saw dust. They are safe and really cut smell and hold alot of luquid. Poops dry out real fast so odor never gets a chance. You can get a 40lb bag from 4 to 6 dollars from either TSC or a place that sell the hardwood stoves.

 

[mendogurl]

I was just saying to my husband this morning about our new flock, "see how they don't smell.

Everytime it starts to smell, I put down a new layer of shavings, poof ! Smell be gone.
People come to visit and say, "I thought chickens smelled really bad".

 

[DarkWolf]

I've had the chickens in the coop for... ohh.. 3 months now and the only time I notice any smell is when the pine shavings became wet. Roof leaked as it blew under the tarp. Took days to dry the shavings via fan and stall dry. After they dried, no more smell.

I use the deep litter method, currently at 3" deep in the main, 5" deep in the roost pit.

I don't do any cleaning beyond stirring the shavings with a hoe now and then. Wood floor, painted with porch paint.

The chickens are always scratching about the shavings to stir them up as well. Heck, half the time they bury themselves and dust in it.

Beyond when I needed to dry the soaked shavings, I have added no more stall dry, nor DE.