My chicken coop stinks

[BooneHillbilly]

I am curious to this as well

 

[outbackbill]

You need to clean out your chicken house then dust with lime and add new straw or wood chips as you wish. The lime does not hurt the chickens and it will "sweeten" the smell. Use it in the run too. My family used lime all the time and never had any problem with smell. You do have to clean out the chicken house often in any case. I clean mine once a month depending on weather etc. Sometimes will leave it go 2 months but never any longer. This also helps to keep bugs down too. I use straw in the winter to keep them warm and cozy.

 

[Beau coop]

is it just regular lime? Is there s certain type? I don't want to burn their feet. Thanks!

 

[outbackbill]

I use white lime, hydrated I think it is called. Put it down lightly before you put the straw or wood chips down. You don't want a layer of it just a light dusting. I also dust on top of the droppings under the roost if I don't get to the cleaning quick enough. I have never noticed any effects to the chickens.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I put DE down first and pine shavings over the top and never have smells. Regular chickens smell yes but not a strong oder at all. In fact, when people come to see my chickens (I have a coop above the nest boxes with some Seramas in it) they always say how good it smells...that they didn't expect it. And I clean mine out right before winter and right after. That's it...I add a little fresh pine shavings every other week along with a 12oz cup of DE sprinkled around with it. In my 8X8 coop I use 2 bags of 3cubic feet of pine shavings. Fleet farm has it for about 4 bucks a bag. Pretty cheap considering it helps keep your birds dryer then straw or hay too and less bugs

= Healthier chickens.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

What is DE and what is stall dry?

DE Is the best thing ever

It's full name is Diatomatious earth but be careful...there are many things out there named that but meant for swimming pools. It has to be food grade and pure white...not tan or even slight tan. I order mine from custommilling.com and it cost 50 bucks for a 50 lbs bag (shipped) but that lasted me all year plus. Ialso used it in my cat litter box too and MAN does that work nice! I never used stall dry so not sure what it is or where you can get it.

Go to this website and read all about it:

http://custommilling.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=27​

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Here is an even better website about DE.

http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html

 

[irishlad1969]

I made the mistake of placing our coop and pen under trees and by our pool. All this rain makes it smell like a pig pen. Are you folks saying to place shaving outside as well as lime or DE?

 

[iwiw60]

How often do you clean your coop out? It isn't a mistake to place your coop under trees necessarily...is that area down low compared to the surrounding area? That could be the problem...drainage maybe?

 

[Glenda Heywoodo]

FOR THE CHICKEN HOUSE ETC FOR ODORS
1) What is Sweet PDZ?
Sweet PDZ is the leading stall freshener on the market and is the odor control and deodorizer of choice for thousands of horse, pet and livestock owners. Sweet PDZ is an all-natural, non-hazardous and non-toxic mineral. It captures, neutralizes and eliminates harmful levels of ammonia and odors.
...
(2) Stall DRY

reduces ammonia levels, eliminates odors and provides moisture absorption. Reduce harmful ammonia levels and absorb moisture and odors in: livestock facilities, poultry houses, equestrian centers, dog kennels, calving and foaling stalls and pens, barns, trailers and other animal cages.
Glenda Heywood well I do not know what either item costs etc but here is what I have used for decades Hydrated Slake Lime from the lumber yard
there are two kinds of lime bought at the lumber yard
(1) one is hydrated slake lime
always use a mask when handling DE and or Hydrated Lime
I always put it on the manure every day under my rabbit hutches
and on the bare floor in the chicken house then added the pine shavings. Sprinked it on the soil in the chicken pen. It is safe for chickens to eat.
also put it on the manure under the roost every day
keeps odor down and flies gone
(2)also you can buy agricultural limestone
and spread it under the roost and it is a calcium limestone so if the chickens eat it it will not hurt them just add calcium to the diet
The Hyderated Slake Lime is great on the manure to deter flies from laying eggs that maggots hatch from. It is good in the soil of the chicken pen also. It does not hurt the chickens either
the garden will love you also as it helps grow the fine vegtables in the garden after putting the manure and lime on the garden.
Glenda L Heywood Cassville Missouri