Holy Smell!!!!

[roger95]

Sorry I'm not sure where to ask this but my run smells like a pig farm.

I'm sure its from the 18 weeks of rain we have had. I put a roof over the run but how on earth do I get rid of that stench.

My neighbors have'nt complained yet but I know its coming. HELP PLEASE. I don't want to have to get rid of the girls.

Thanks
Roger

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Pine shavings & liberal amounts of DE (diatomatous earth)!
My ladies were cooped up for a full week when I went on vac (my mom looked after them, but didn't let them out) and had no smell when I got back. Thats all that I used. And it rained like a genesis flood here.

 

[Katy]

If you can't find DE, Stall Dry works just as well (it's a mixture of DE and clay) and most of the local farm stores in my area carry it.

 

[valentinebaby]

I had the same problem back in May and what i discovered is that it wasn't the chickens who smelled, but their wet food! That mash stinks when it gets wet! The best product I've found to knock it out pretty quick is a product I've only been able to find at TSC called Stall Dry. It's a combination of pellet DE and some kind of clay product that helps to absorb the moisture. I put a liberal amount out at night after the girls are locked up and in the morning lightly rake the soil. Works very well!

 

[roger95]

You guys and gals are awsome. Thanks. I have a bunch of DE and I'll look for the Stall Dry.

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

Same here! In CT about a week or two ago, mine was super wet and it's covered! The poor girl's dust bath hole under the coop was now a swimming pool and did it smell! Now my run is sand filled and raked fairly often too! I used the whole bag of stall dry on the run and it cut down the smell quite a bit. It's hard when there is ground water standing on the grass!

 

[patandchickens]

The main thing is to figure out how to dry your run out and keep it drier. See suggestions in the 'fixing a muddy run' link in my .sig below. A drainage trench, gutters with long downspouts, and a roof or tarp over your run may help, also switching to gravel.

Also I second the suggestion that if it smells really really 'pig farm-y' the problem may be wet FEED more than wet poo.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[consdrs]

DE, Stall dry work great in a coop but in a huge run to dry out yards of wet dirt... probably not that effective. I can't imagine how many bags it would take to dry out mud. I would do like Pat said and try to get it so your run stays dry. in the mean time I would put down A LOT of lime the kind you put on your lawn and use a rototiller and till it all in. you would be amazed how fast it gets rid of smell and drys things out.

Connie

 

[Atlchick]

Would the lime 'burn' their little feeties?

 

[AHappychick]

go to the nusery and get Organic Traditions pelted lime for gardening. spread everywhere it wont hurt the chooks at all. I had to do the same think and it made a difference immediatly. also use some Food grade DE to help the bugs and stuff.