How to keep the coop from smelling

[River Runner]

Hi

Greetings from the Mighty Miramichi in New Brunswick Canda. We are new to the chicken raising business. We have 8 laying hens and a rooster. I have been reading quite a bit on the internet about how to keep the coop from smelling and I'm totally confused. I keep reading these blogs that say people only clean their coops a couple of times a year. Well I don't know if my chickens are full of it or if I'm doing something wrong, but these ladies can surely poop a lot. Therefore I need to clean out my coop every few days. I have been using wood shavings on the floor - a couple of inches thick. I'm being scrapping it out and putting the shavings and manure into the compost pile, which is going to be bigger than the house if this keeps up. Anyone have any advice for me? I sure would appreciate knowing what I am doing wrong.

THanks
River Runner

 

[emvickrey]

Unless somebody has some really clean chickens, it's gonna have a smell. The best thing is to keep it dry. Wet coops and runs stink and draw flies. I clean mine out about once a month. I take a garden hand hoe and scrape everything off the nesting shelf and off other places it lands then I use a rake and rake the runs and coop and shovel it all out and it gets tossed at the edge of the woods. What fed is in there the chipmunks and squirrels get. After a few rains it's pretty much gone and it keeps the flies mostly away. For my pen that has a concrete floor I have wood shavings spread out and I cleant it out once a month also unless it needs it sooner. The birds in cages I rake under them every couple of weeks or sooner if needed. The chickens that free range usually clean up any feed they spill so not much goes to waste. It's best to keep it dry.

 

[River Runner]

Thank you. I appreciate the advice. I haven't been touching the run so will start raking it out.

 

[sodbuster]

hi

 

[Elite Silkies]

I also rake mine out about twice a month. I spread DE and Stall dry. I don't think anything is going to completely eliminate the smell.

 

[CMV]

from NH. There is a whole discussion going on right now about the use of those car fresheners that smell like vanilla. They not only smell good, but they also repel flies. Who knew? That may take the edge off the odor. Adding DE (diatomaceous earth) and Stall Dry will help immensely with odors, as well.