Clean coop

[ash11]

I've always had pine shavings in my coop. I've decided to now go with sand. It's been a couple months and I sift it twice a week and sprinkle DE after. But it really smells. It actually smells worse than the shavings. How can I cut down on the smell?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

It actually smells worse than the shavings. How can I cut down on the smell?

It's a big litter box that retains all the stuff that was wet.. I hate sand (for my set up). Deep litter/bedding is a better choice (for me). Also DE not welcome here.

Sweet PDZ may help if it's ammonia smell.. but if it's poo.. remove the sand and wash and return.. maybe have some you cycle in and out??

 

[DobieLover]

I've always had pine shavings in my coop. I've decided to now go with sand. It's been a couple months and I sift it twice a week and sprinkle DE after. But it really smells. It actually smells worse than the shavings. How can I cut down on the smell?

I agree with @EggSighted4Life and don't like sand.
Instead of using sand for bedding, have you ever considered installing poop boards with PDZ on them and keeping fluffy shavings for coop bedding? That is the way I manage my coop and I only clean the bedding out once a year. I scoop the boards every morning and add more PDZ as needed.

 

[nuthatched]

Sand doesn't compost, it just stews.
I'd switch back and cut out the D.E.

 

[ash11]

It's a big litter box that retains all the stuff that was wet.. I hate sand (for my set up). Deep litter/bedding is a better choice (for me). Also DE not welcome here.

Sweet PDZ may help if it's ammonia smell.. but if it's poo.. remove the sand and wash and return.. maybe have some you cycle in and out??

I'll try the sweet pdz. I thought sand was supposed to be much better. But now I'm not so sure!

 

[ash11]

I agree with @EggSighted4Life and don't like sand.
Instead of using sand for bedding, have you ever considered installing poop boards with PDZ on them and keeping fluffy shavings for coop bedding? That is the way I manage my coop and I only clean the bedding out once a year. I scoop the boards every morning and add more PDZ as needed.

I like that idea. I think I'll go back to bedding and use sand on the poop board.

 

[MamaPoult]

A friend of mine does sand and then a thin layer of straw on top. Shes been doing that for years.

 

[puddle_drinker]

I've always had pine shavings in my coop. I've decided to now go with sand. It's been a couple months and I sift it twice a week and sprinkle DE after. But it really smells. It actually smells worse than the shavings. How can I cut down on the smell?

In order to cut down the smell, particularly the smell of ammonia, you're going to need a good amount of carbonaceous material e.g. wood shavings. Wood shavings absorb moisture and the carbon in the wood binds the nitrogen from the manure. It's the decaying nitrogen that generates the ammonia smell. You'll want to have several inches of wood shavings.

For instance I have a 7'x12' coop where I have 5-6" of wood shavings on the floor. This supports about 35 chickens. I clean the coop floor out about once a year and under the shavings is a dirt floor. I may add some wood shavings to the floor from time to time over the year if the material seems to be breaking down significantly.

At the back of my coop I have a number of roosts with a poop board underneath. The poop board is shoveled off about once a week. The poop board starts with a small 1" layer of fine pine shavings and every two days or so get an additional wood shavings layer until at some point I decided it's time to shovel it off. I've also used spent dry coffee grinds when I have an excess from time to time.

I also use old hay and wood chips on the high traffic ground of the chicken run around the coop entrance that is prone to mud in the winter and spring.

 

[puddle_drinker]

A friend of mine does sand and then a thin layer of straw on top. Shes been doing that for years.

I'm curious, for folks that use and like sand, is that for a small flock of say less than 10?

 

[MamaPoult]

I'm curious, for folks that use and like sand, is that for a small flock of say less than 10?

I dont think so she had about 80 to 100 hens!