Big pile of coop scrapings stinks horribly -- please help!

[amiachicknorwat]

Hi folks, Been a while since I posted. We went away for 3 weeks and came home to wet stinky deep litter in our coop. We, like most around northern North America, have had a tremendous winter, that still persists into spring. So maybe from the snow melt and surely partly from a leaky watering container, the whole deep littered cement floor was near soaked. Wearing masks we scraped it out and now it's in a big pile behind the coop which is behind our house. The smell wafting this way and that was near intolerable. And we're still in deep snow and coldish temps, so I want to deal with this before real spring temps arise, well before summer, any way! I've tried throwing dolomite lime and ash from our woodstove over top the pile and covered it with a tarp. Has helped a bit but know we'll need something more for the race to summer. The pile is too big to sequester into drums for anaerobic bokashi composting. any other ideas very welcome. Much thanks and Happy spring when it comes (or happy when spring comes). It is warming up I know. It just had a long way too go. happiness either way, Nick

 

[dheltzel]

PDZ is zeolite. It's a mineral with desiccant properties.

Also, zeolite is known primarily for its ammonia absorbing properties. Since ammonia is the "burn your nose when you sniff it" property of the manure, locking up some of it in the Sweet PDZ should help the odor.

 

[WillGriffin03]

Can you clean it out? If so do so immediately! Do you clean the coop every month? If not start doing so after this problem has been resolved.

Hope this helps,
William

 

[amiachicknorwat]

We cleaned it out. It's in a pile behind the coop now, which is still close to the house, relatively, and right beside our garden we'll start working as soon as enough snow melts. Cleaning out that much deep litter monthly would make me review having chickens. Normally it doesn't stink at all. We periodically toss DE and spread wood ash on the floor. It's only cuz of this long hard winter which kept the birds inside more than usual and the wetness of the deep litter that is unusual, a first for us, too. What I need help with is natural (non-chemical) ways of keeping the smell down to a dull roar, of the outdoor pile of bird dropping laden deep litter, not in the coop. Thanks, Nick

 

[junebuggena]

Use it to prep garden beds. Or divide it up into a few compost piles, layering the smelly stuff with wood shavings or fresh straw/hay.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Check with your neighbors & friends if anyone's needing garden prep...
Maybe some PDZ would help with the odor?

 

[DeYoungs]

Check with your neighbors & friends if anyone's needing garden prep...
Maybe some PDZ would help with the odor?

plus one on the PDZ, powder or shavings.

 

[amiachicknorwat]

PDZ? What's that? I asked google which brought me back to a PDZ thread, which started out asking what PDZ is. The question wasn't answered tho there were several responses, as if its composition was irrelevant. Not saying what the ingredients are or what is specifically is does not answer the question. Amazing how stuff is accepted unquestioningly. Let's stop the circularity here. Thanks, Nick

 

[DeYoungs]

PDZ? What's that? I asked google which brought me back to a PDZ thread, which started out asking what PDZ is. The question wasn't answered tho there were several responses, as if its composition was irrelevant. Not saying what the ingredients are or what is specifically is does not answer the question. Amazing how stuff is accepted unquestioningly. Let's stop the circularity here. Thanks, Nick

sweetpdz.com
sorry I did not put a link earlier, good day.

 

[TalkALittle]

PDZ is zeolite. It's a mineral with desiccant properties.