In need of dryout/stink depletion advice.

[shanz7619]

We live in PA and on Monday we had very strong storms move through the area. They were so strong with such a massive amount of rainfall that even though with the very dry ground it was too much for it to actually soak in. So before the rain was over and done with our run was completely flooded. Now we have a major stinky problem because of the chickens pooing and spilling food before it got wet. We have an open topped run but have a tarp to cover it when it rains. Our problem wasn't the raining coming down it was the flooding getting in from the yard. And the coop is located on top of our yard. The ground was so dry and it came down so fast and hard it didn't soak or run off it just settled and flooded.
Any ideas of something I can get from around my house to dry it out quicker and make the stink go away? The sun hits it but not long enough to dry it out, just long enough to make the stink worse and bring on flies.

 

[SunshineMary]

Are there standing puddles of water or is the ground just wet?

Sweet PDZ will take care of the smell.

If you have puddles of water, I wonder if you could go to an automotive parts store and get some of that 100% diatomaceous earth absorbant (like this stuff: http://m.oreillyauto.com/h5/r/www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/MTA0/9805/N0431.oap ) and spread it on the puddles to absorb them? Maybe shovel it back out into a trash bag after it sucks up the moisture.

 

[shanz7619]

There's no puddles it's just really stinky mud. Basically it got so wet from the rain and then the sun came out and even though it's drying most of it the mixture of dirt, feed, and poo just makes it stink horribly.

 

[Leigti]

How about Pines shavings? Spread those out and they will absorb the water and make it smell better.

 

[MeepBeep]

Go get some septic enzymes/bacteria/treatment and sprinkle it around the area in question, then run a sprinkler on the area to activate the enzymes, keep turning on the sprinkler as need to keep it 'moist' for a few days... If it dries out the bacteria and enzymes will die so keep it moist... Yes, it will smell worse initially because you are wetting it but once the enzymes and bacteria get to work they will eat up feces the stink and no more smell...

Also I suggest just the generic Walmart stuff, it's a flaky powder with no dies so it's easy to spread with no staining...

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Septic-Tank-Treatment-9.8-oz/35326675

 

[RonP]

Quick and long term fix if available, 8-10" deep, free wood chips.

 

[aart]

Any dry plant matter will help....a good mix of various sizes, shapes, and materials is best.
Just an inch or two of wood chips from a tree trimming business would help immediately....and you could build from there with other materials.
A thin layer of straw and/or hay and/or dry grass clipping(probably hard to find right now) could make a difference right away.

Here's a great description of contents and how to manage organic 'bedding' in a run or coop...and there's a great video of what it looks like.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1037998/muddy-run-help-please#post_16017992

 

[Intheswamp]

I don't know about the septic tank treatment, probably won't hurt anything. What folks have said about adding carbon material is the biggie. You've got an overload of nitrogen and you've got an overly moist earth...leave the run uncovered where sunshine can hit it and pile on dried leaves, dried wood chips, dried garden debris, a little dried lawn trimmings, etc.....the key thing is "brown". You want the carbon material to be brown because if you add green stuff you're basically adding more nitrogen. Naturally, if you throw lightweight green stuff on of a layer of litter that green stuff will dry out and be brown in a short time if you're not in a spell of rainy weather. The dry material will physically act somewhat like a sponge. Once you get a substantial depth to the deep litter you should not have this problem of mud and stink, the rain will pass through (if will drain well), the chickens will walk on top of the litter (no muddy feet tracking into the coop and the nest boxes), the smell should be in control, and it should be producing some excellent compost eventually. Adding litter will be a continuous chore, but not an overwhelming one once the basic layer is in place. Look for establishing a 10-12 inch deep litter if you can, but 4-5 inches will help things greatly....really any amount of carbonaceous material will help. Keep your eyes open for free stuff set out in front of peoples' houses waiting for pickup, or even farmers who've harvested and have cornstalks or other crop residue laying around...beware of pesticides, though. Wood chips from power-line clearing companies and city street and sanitation departments can often be had for the taking...most of these chips will be green, though, so spread them out on a large tarp for a couple of weeks in the sun.

Best wishes,
Ed

 

[shanz7619]

I took the rest of the cedar bedding we had for our former pet rat and threw it in there for now. Spread it out evenly so it's covering the entire wet area of the run. Our coop is about 3-4ft above the ground and the run continues under it which is where it's wet because the sun can't get to it to dry it out. We usually only have this issue in one spot bease of them spilling water or knocking over the waterer but usually it dries up rather quickly in the sunlight. We just got so much rain at once that even with the pen being on high ground the run still flooded. Now we are probably going to be in a dry spell again after the all day rain we had yesterday.

 

[Intheswamp]

How big is your run??