my chicken run/coop smells bad!

[MyCritterAddiction]

To remind everyone; I am new to the world of chickens and only have had them for a couple of months now. In the past week, their run has been smelling bad as well as their coop. We have been having a lot of rain lately and the heat/ humidity has been unbearable (I live in the deep south!). Could this be contributing to the odor? The flies are even starting to get bad. I have pine wood shavings in the coop, and that smells too. This weekend I am planning on raking that out and replacing it. What else can I do to keep the odor down as well as the flies?

 

[Nyla]

There is lots of supplies that you can find at your local feed store. Have you been changing the bedding in the coop/run weekly or even 2 times a week? During the rainy days, I clean my coops the day before it suppose to rain. And then I clean them the day after rain is over. Wet bedding can cause bacteria to grow and can make chickens sick.
As for my run, I put sand down. The entire pen is covered in sand.
This is my Muscovy Aviary with sand on the ground. I recently sold all my chickens, but I treated them the same as my ducks.
The sand helps eliminate odor's and flies. My Muscovy's also eat flies..

 

[PD-Riverman]

To remind everyone; I am new to the world of chickens and only have had them for a couple of months now. In the past week, their run has been smelling bad as well as their coop. We have been having a lot of rain lately and the heat/ humidity has been unbearable (I live in the deep south!). Could this be contributing to the odor? The flies are even starting to get bad. I have pine wood shavings in the coop, and that smells too. This weekend I am planning on raking that out and replacing it. What else can I do to keep the odor down as well as the flies?

Sand, something that will drain away the water---your run has to drain or you will always have a mess when its wet. Pine shavings is not good for a wet hole. Barn lime will help-----I just always mix up some in some water---using a big watering can to pour it out over the smelly area's etc. The reason I mix it is I did not want the chickens eating a lot of it.

 

[MyCritterAddiction]

There is lots of supplies that you can find at your local feed store. Have you been changing the bedding in the coop/run weekly or even 2 times a week? During the rainy days, I clean my coops the day before it suppose to rain. And then I clean them the day after rain is over. Wet bedding can cause bacteria to grow and can make chickens sick.

Its been raining (small floods) nearly every day last week and this week. I have not been changing the bedding because it hasn't really stopped raining. I am hope to get it done today or tomorrow, but of course we are under severe thunderstorm watch with heavy rail and hail possible until 9 pm tonight (AGAIN!).

 

[MyCritterAddiction]

Sand, something that will drain away the water---your run has to drain or you will always have a mess when its wet. Pine shavings is not good for a wet hole. Barn lime will help-----I just always mix up some in some water---using a big watering can to pour it out over the smelly area's etc. The reason I mix it is I did not want the chickens eating a lot of it.

I like the sand idea!! I have thought about lime too, just didn't know how safe it would be.

 

[Nyla]

I switched to sand a little over 6 months ago and never regretted it since! Really does help with the odor and chickens can dust bathe.

 

[Kiki]

I too live in the deep south and I use the deep litter method, I didn't use to use this and before I did smell nastiness. Now....no smell.

 

[Noaskye]

If you have access to mint, grow it in a couple of pots. Cut back the tops or pull leaves & put on the poop trays in the coop or under your roost. Flies don't like mint, most pest & mice don't either & as a bonus it smells good. I grow mint for tea and use a ton in the coop and pen to keep flies out & smelling fresh. I agree with everything else above, we use fine pine shavings but our pen is covered with a steel roof & stays really dry, sand is probably best for you. Do some research first, I've heard sand can be difficult when it stays wet.

 

[Kiki]

btw...fwiw
I also feed fermented feed and I have zero fly problems.

 

[jbudin2000]

What kind of sand? Fine playground, coarse, paving sand???? Where do you get it? Sand can become heavy and hard when wet, Florida summer is always wet.