Does your run/coop smell very bad during winter?

[Fluffy_Butt_Hutt]

The ratio of chickens to run size matters toooo

Definitely matters! We simply don't have the room (on any side) to make the run any larger but the coop is spacious for them, and we also have an interesting situation where we must have a pathway between the coop and the separate enclosure. It's silly having to move them around but it works.

 

[MROO]

First winter with chickens so I do not know what to expect but our run smells so bad in the morning, worse than our bathroom on Taco Tuesdays. It is wrapped with 14mil tarp but exit door is not and it has 8" of opening along the overhang for ventilation. Floor is sand that is about 3 months old. Current temps are 28-ish.

Is this normal? I'm thinking it is as they are all pooping in there early on but geez.....

It sounds like your run is too damp. Wrapping it that high on all sides is trapping moisture in and blocking the airflow your ground needs in order to dry out. Get rid of the extra moisture and your smells should disappear.
My recommendation is to only block the most weather/wind exposed sides. In my run, that's just the north and west sides, but it will vary depending on how your set-up is situated. If you have nasty winter winds, you can add a wind break on another side, but I wouldn't block the whole area. Your chickens ... and your nose ... will be thankful for the fresh airflow!

 

[Mother of Chaos]

My run is only wrapped on one end, on three sides. So the entire length of one short end of the run, 8’ on one long side (total 15’ long), and 4’ on the other long side. Wide open on the inside of the run for what would be the fourth wall, if there were one.

When I go into the run on the windiest day, it’s completely still.