How do you keep chicken run from smelling?

[pntdhorses]

Every Spring I struggle with odor control in the outdoor chicken run. When the rains come, so does the godawful smell after.
I use sand along with First Saturday Lime but it really doesn’t help much. I have heard that wood chips ( not mulch) is the answer. Problem is that I don’t know how to find actual chips other than buying a wood chipper. Closest thing I could find was large bags of “Pine Bark Nuggets” that our Lowe’s carries. Has anyone used these or think they might work for odor control.

 

[Matilda Belle]

I add fresh pine shavings to my run weekly, and every few months I remove ALL bedding from the run and add fresh. I burn the bedding and then add the ash back to the run. It helps with odor and also with mites.

 

[Wezdin]

Look for playground mulch, whenever I have some extra at the camp that's where it goes. Either that or leaves, but those decompose really quickly. I also tried pine sprigs left over from Christmas with great success so far.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Not sure where you're located, but call up some local tree companies and ask to buy a load of wood chips. In my area, they're usually free.

Wood chips alone aren't the answer. They provide necessary drainage (which does help a lot to control odor and mud) but you'll also need to add other organic matter such as dried leaves, garden trimmings, pine needles, etc. to help compost and break down the poop.

 

[aart]

Yep<sings>Sand Stinks!

Wood chips alone aren't the answer. They provide necessary drainage (which does help a lot to control odor and mud) but you'll also need to add other organic matter such as dried leaves, garden trimmings, pine needles, etc. to help compost and break down the poop.

Ditto Dat!

Closest thing I could find was large bags of “Pine Bark Nuggets” that our Lowe’s carries.

That'll work to get you started.

How big is your run, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.
How many birds?

Also.....
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[so lucky]

Your climate and weather makes a difference as to what and how severe the issue becomes. In SE Missouri, humidity makes our fly and stink problem pretty bad. Here's what all I tried last summer and fall: Add hay (bad idea) Add straw (not the best) add wood chips for landscaping (good, but I didn't have enough), Add PDZ-. good for flies/stink in the run, but seemed to turn to bricks in the coop.
I finally cleaned all the PDZ and hay and straw out of the coop and put in pine shavings. About that time it turned cold enough that the flies weren't a problem. Since then, I have a thick layer of straw, pine needles and leaves and twigs in the run. During a really rainy period it gets nasty, but it doesn't last long. As long as the chickens can get to a dry spot, it doesn't seem to bother them to walk in wet bedding for a while. For mine, they spend most of the day in the "crawl space" under the coop, where it is dry and protected from the weather.
You may have to try different things before you come upon a solution for your coop and run. Good luck.