Chicken run is smelly!

[Sumerr]

My chickens have been outside for a few days now and I'm wondering if there's a way to help the smell? It's mostly coming from the run. We've used river rock as the ground cover, should I use mulch over top of it? And if so, what kind?

 

[radochicken]

Try horse stall deodorizer it worked great for me.

 

[aart]

My chickens have been outside for a few days now and I'm wondering if there's a way to help the smell? It's mostly coming from the run. We've used river rock as the ground cover, should I use mulch over top of it? And if so, what kind?

The whole run 'floor' is covered with river rock? Like fist sized rocks? A pic might help but....
.....poops stuck in between rocks are not going to break down well, and wet chicken poop stinks.

Getting rid of the rocks might be a good idea.....depending on the soil and how rain water falls and runs thru the run area.

Covering rocks with a thick(~4") layer of multi sizes and shapes of various organic materials might help create a composting environment to convert the poops to non stinky entities.

 

[ChickenMammX4]

We use lawn debris (leaves, grass clippings), straw and old pine shavings in our run. No odor at all. Is your run covered? Ours is covered but if it gets wet we fluff it with a stall rake. You need something to absorb and help break down the poop.

 

[chicapee]

I use the deep litter method, leaves, course pine shavings and straw. I give them a sprinkling of scratch every three days and they scratch and turn the litter so I dont have to. No smell and I am in the deep south.

 

[whittychick]

I use grass clippings and mulch for the outside run and pine shavings inside the coop. I try and clean nesting boxes out everyday and scrap any poop from overnight. That keeps smell away and flies!