Run floor getting smelly and dirty.

[TwilightMom]

What would be the best floor for the chicken run? We put the coop/run on pea gravel since it was already there. I have 7 chickens that free range during the day but still manage do poop alot in the run. It is starting to smell a bit and attract lots of flies. Only had the chicks in the coop/run for a bout a month now. These are backyard chickens in city limits and I don't want to upset neighbors! Curiously the coop smells fine (pine shavings in there). Keeping chickens has a major learning curve!

So much fun!

 

[Blueggchick]

Hi:

When I first started in the chicken world, I also had the same problem. I leaned from this forum which I also now use is a deep layer of pine shavings and mix in some food grade Diatomaceous Earth. The DE dries the chickens droppings, keeps urine odors down, and also keeps flyes away. As a added benifit, it helps keep mites and lice off your birds too. Love it!

Dar.

 

[TwilightMom]

How often do you clean out the run area? How often do you add DE? Do I get DE at the feed store I assume? Thanks!

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I'd put sand on top of the gravel, and mix in some lime for odor control

 

[TwilightMom]

So do I need to shovel out the sand/pea gravel and add new every so often? Or just the poop? I didn't know chickens pee!

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

If your sand is deep enough you can just rake out the poop.
The pee is the white stuff on the poop

The sand and lime mixture will also help it dry faster, so it won't need cleaning as often

 

[elmo]

If your chickens are only in the run at night, you can easily collect most of the poop for quick disposal by putting a tray or board of some kind under the roost. I use a boot tray inside my coop and those long rectangular plastic plant trays that go under window boxes for the roosts in the run. I take the tray out in the morning and dump it in the composter. I have sand in my run, so for any stray poop not caught by the tray, a kitty litter scoop makes quick work of the mess. Then periodically I rake the sand.

If you're having odor issues, you might be having a drainage problem, too. Dry poop doesn't smell much if at all.