My coop smells!

[aart]

I like this idea for our run. It's 25x30 and I'm thinking of starting a base with about 4" of a fine mulch mixed with yard materials - leaves, grass. Is this a good start?

You want bigger stuff too, sticks and such.
It's best if everything is pretty dry, as in no longer green, so dry grass and and leaves.


I have a large walk in run and never 'clean' poops from the run,
and there is rarely any nasty odors. The bedding of a good mix of dry plant materials use facilitates this nicely, it's basically no maintenance other than adding more material from time to time. I was able to start with a big load of tree trimmings from the power company that had been aged(6 months) so I avoided the toxic molds that can bloom with fresh chippings. I collect dry leaves in the fall (stored in feed bags in a shed) and add them occasionally, and other garden trimmings. I let my grass grow tall, mow and spread it out with discharge pattern, leave it to dry a few day, then push it into rows with the mower discharge, rake it up and add to run.

This is what I started with.

This is after adding some sun dried grass clippings.

 

[Birdinhand]

deep litter is the way to go. It took me shifting my mindset from super clean to micro biom. pine shavings really are more for the look than anything else. once you get a nice aerobic system going, the smell will be kept to a minimum. make sure it all stays dry.

 

[debid]

I like this idea for our run. It's 25x30 and I'm thinking of starting a base with about 4" of a fine mulch mixed with yard materials - leaves, grass. Is this a good start?

Have you composted before? It's a mix of dry/brown and wet/green. In a run, the chicken droppings are your wet/green. The idea is to put in enough brown that the wet/green breaks down rather than accumulating. It's not difficult, just keep a supply of something dry/brown and throw some in if things look a little messy. I'm not at all scientific about it and somehow it's working anyway.

 

[aart]

deep litter is the way to go. It took me shifting my mindset from super clean to micro biom. pine shavings really are more for the look than anything else. once you get a nice aerobic system going, the smell will be kept to a minimum. make sure it all stays dry.

A true composting deep litter needs some moisture or it won't support the organisms that do the 'breaking down'.
Dry pine shavings in my coop work well to help dry up any poops deposited on floor rather than on the poop boards, definitely functional and not just 'for looks'.

Have you composted before? It's a mix of dry/brown and wet/green. In a run, the chicken droppings are your wet/green. The idea is to put in enough brown that the wet/green breaks down rather than accumulating. It's not difficult, just keep a supply of something dry/brown and throw some in if things look a little messy. I'm not at all scientific about it and somehow it's working anyway.

Excellent synopsis!!