Ammonia smell...need help

[animal nut]

I really like the under the bed storage containers. I will go and purchase a couple and try this method. We compost so this would be an excellant idea. Thanks again.

 

[Dustoff79]

Adding Zeolite is a great way to help control the ammonia. you can get it under the name of Sweet PDZ, used for horse stalls. It absorbs ammonia, and is great in the compost pile/garden when you change the bedding.

http://www.mall-net.com/mcs/zeolite.html

www.sweetpdz.com/

Good luck

 

[beak]

When I built my coop I allowed for good flow through ventilation at the top. I was worried about ammonia smell and the ventilation from one side to the other does quite well. Same concept as the soffit vents in the roof on your house. I have 17 chicken in an 8x8 and 6ft tall room. 2 2x4 windows that are screened with chicken wire and left open during summer. Covered with plexi glass during the winter.

 

[speckledhen]

I've tried and tried with PDZ. It does help IF you put alot under the roost. And I mean about a bucketful. Part of my issues lately is that I am fudging on the number of birds in that main coop. Since I am losing many of my hatchery girls, I didn't really want to sell many so they could replace the ones who are dying from internal laying. I closed the vents down too much and the litter under the roosts was really wet just from all the poop.(there are no water leaks in the coop at all). When I finally got around to getting more DE and opened up the vents full, it did wonders for the air quality in there. IMO, DE dries out the litter better than PDZ, well, at least the granulated type.