how to get my run smelling fresher

[BiddyBiddy]

I have a 50’x 50’ fenced in open air and netted run. I’ve been using pine straw and really like it. I just add a couple of bales every couple of months as it breaks down or to fill in the bald spots. I have 13 chickens and zero smell. They scratch through it and turn it over all day. Even when it rains it seems to dry pretty well.

 

[oldhen2345]

My run has sand that I rake up to keep loose. After I rake, I use a doubled over piece of plastic hardwire cloth as a sieve, so I don't get a bucket full of sand, just droppings and feathers and put fresh sand in my run if needed along with DE and a sprinkling of PDZ. In the coop, I have linoleum lining the floor - easy to keep clean and dry. I put PDZ down then use pine shavings and DE. I put DE on the roosts and in the nesting boxes too. Then I sprinkle with Spruce the Coop- it's a little pricey, but the hens love the dry flowers and it smells nice. Wet weather does cause a smell, but I also live in town and am very pro active about keeping it all clean.

 

[Hootie$]

Grow rosemary, lavender, parsley. All extra can be added to the coop near roosts to help with smell, also cedar saw dust/ shavings added to pine shavings will help freshen up once a week about. Scoop the poop, put in water bucket and feed your grass and fruit trees.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

I have sand in my coop and run. LOVE IT!! I do add some PDZ in the coop (especially on the poop decks) and once a year throw some in the covered part of the run. I get in there and scoop the poop with a long handled metal wok spider and a kitty litter scoop. Keeps the coop nice and fresh. I’m retired, so have the luxury of being able to scoop the run a couple of times a day and rake the sand to keep it nice and loose to dustbathing and scratching.

I think that the sand is the best option for me. I’m severely allergic to mold, so most other bedding options are a no-go.

 

[Ila88]

Hi all, we finally got some nice sunny warm days up here in western Canada I was out in the yard working on the new coop and noticed the chicken smell was a little stonger than my neighbours might appreciate. (I live in town) I read in an old thread about using food grade diotomaceous earth in the run. just wondering how much I need to use and how often I would need to reapply. also other people suggest lime? can I use both or is one better than the other?

I clean out the poop every day and have no smell.

 

[MarcyG]

We started using construction sand in our (15'x9') covered pen and in their roosting coop about a year ago. We have 6 hens and the sand also helps reduce odors and keep the flies away. The poop is very easy to clean with a cat litter scooper attached to a long handle. Their feet stay much cleaner w/ the sand floor, and it provides them with dust-bathing opportunities when it's wet/rainy outside. Win-win! We let our 6 girls outside daily for anywhere from 1-3 hours in the late afternoon before dusk (supervised, of course).

 

[MarcyG]

We have 4 inches of construction sand in our run and two inches in our coop! We rake every day and use a cat litter scoop to pick up the chicken droppings so far no smell! We will probably once every 3 month’s take an inch of sand out & add new sand ..

We're also very pleased with the result once we added construction sand into our run and coop area. Cleanup is much easier, and the odors are greatly reduced, especially in wet weather.

 

[getaclue]

Turning the dirt at least once a month in a new coop/run is a good thing to do. It takes about a year to get your coop dirt actually working for you. Rake as needed, to keep it moderately clean. To keep it fresh, get some dried basil, and sprinkle some around on the ground. It's fine if the chickens eat some. You don't have to overdo it. I like to get the bigger size of basil from Sam's club, or Costco, since it lasts longer. That will freshen the coop, and flies hate it, so it keeps them down to a minimum during fly season.

 

[AquaDuck]

Since you're in Canada, I would guess you have a lot of spruce trees around? Cut down some fresh branches (make sure not to take so many it damages the tree), and hang/stand them in the the coop. The "new spruce smell" is quite nice. And give the chickens enrichment at the same time.

 

[MarcyG]

We're also very pleased with the result once we added construction sand into our run and coop area. Cleanup is much easier, and the odors are greatly reduced, especially in wet weather.

Good article here also: https://104homestead.com/sand-in-chicken-coop/