How bad do chickens stink in summer?

[LynneP]

They should never stink...minds you, a covered run is what makes the difference, and paying attention to morning clean-up. A dropping board or a platform roost helps enormously.

Some thoughts on my Coop Hygiene Page, too.

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

We summer pasture using sliding shelters. Move the shelter to fresh grass and hose down the old area when needed. Not much smell unless you put too many in too small an area or don't move them enough. Poop goes directly to feed the grass.

We found our meat birds poop was significantly different from the dual purpose birds poop. It didn't seem as digested. Had to hose twice as long for 6 meat birds as 36 dual purpose.

Winter coop uses pine bedding over concrete floor. No smell all winter, but it is starting to smell now as it gets warmer. There was some hay added late, and I think that is the problem.

Soon they will be out on pasture again and we'll have the big annual clean-out

But after 6 months rotting it will be great mulch in the garden.

 

[emvickrey]

The only thing I do to keep the smell down is I rake the ground and scoop it out a couple times a week. I don't use poop boards or DE. They do enough scratching to keep the ground broke up as it is. I just rake the ground and remove the poop.

 

[cluckcluck42]

You guys are the best

I just love this forum! I don't think we will have any real problems after reading this. I think we keep the coop well maintained and are due for our big once-or-probably-twice-a-year coop cleaning from top to bottom. It really has not stunk at ALL this winter even on the mild days which was surprising. I thought chickens would be instant stink machines from how people talk but it's JUST the poop that stinks and let me tell you, I have not found any critters poop that has not smelled and NONE that smell worse than any human I have met.

 

[mdbokc]

This is the pelletized lime I use in the run once in a great while (3 x in the last year). Works quickly whenever an odor or flies develop. Throw 2-3 handfuls around a 10'x40' run. I rake it lightly into the top 1/4 inch of soil. Results overnight.



Never have had a problem with the coop smelling at all. Just take care of business and it'll be fine.

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

Food grade diatomaceous earth keeps down odors, it also helps kill
-Flys
-Lice
-Mites

Just sprinkle it out on the ground and you can mix it in their feed

 

[sydney13]

as long as you keep it dry and clean its not gonna smell. Also you can plant vines and flowers that smell good to grow along the coop to prevent smells.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
Mine smell LESS in the summer, because the weather is drier.

They only smell after it "floods" . . . as it seems to have been doing a lot last fall. (8" in one night, remember that one? water came UNDER my coop.....one downside of dirt floors I guess) also, last
summer we didn't have much of a fly problem until I started giving them ice water pans to stand in when it was 100*F for weeks on end. The flies were VERY attracted to the extra moisture. Bleh.



Laying hens or dual purpose birds DO NOT smell anything like as bad as broiler/meaties/CornishX birds. If his only experience is with nasty Frankenchickens, then he's in for a pleasent surprise

 

[cluckcluck42]

I heard it again today about how bad it is going to smell. I can't wait to have him over on a hot summer day and see what it smells like, I'm very encouraged that with proper management we will have no issues. He did have all meat chickens, about 50 in a coop meant for maybe 10-15 birds so no crud it smelled.

 

[cluckcluck42]

Quote:
Great page, thanks.

About the No pest strips, how toxic are they? We have bug problems in summer in our home, I would be interested in this if it works. How does it work, just gives off a bad smell to bugs?? Interesting!