New to BYC

[VikkD]

Hi. Any suggestions for controlling oder and flies?

Thank you.

 

[DobieLover]

In the coop or run or both?
What are you using for litter in the coop and run?
Is the run covered?
How many birds per square feet do you keep?

 

[VikkD]

I have shavings in the coop, half pea rocks and dirt in the run.

I have 3 chickens- 2 nesting boxes, to roosting poles....plenty of room for them.

 

[VikkD]

It's really the coop that's smelly

 

[rosemarythyme]

It's really the coop that's smelly

How big specifically is the coop: length & width (& height if you know it offhand) How many sq ft of ventilation do you have? Any issues with water leaking/dripping into coop or moisture build up? How often do you clean out the bedding?

Bedding in a bone dry coop with ample ventilation that gets poop scooped regularly shouldn't be smelly. Your run may start getting stinky in the future without any litter, unless it's fairly arid where you live.

 

[VikkD]

The coop itself is Living House: 25.2" W x 42" L . https://www.wayfair.com/pet/pdp/arc...107.html?&experiencetype=2&selectedvertical=3 I doubled the run area. They are outside all day and in the coop at night.

There are no leaks that I can detect. It has 2 ventilation slits/holes on one side- you can see it at the link I posted. I add bedding once a week and completleu clean it out every 30 days. I hose the pea grave in the run everyday.

 

[Flockincrazy]

Your makin the run wet hose the run once a week and are you spraying inside your coop when you clean it if so are you letting it fully dry before you put new bedding in

 

[rosemarythyme]

The coop itself is Living House: 25.2" W x 42" L . https://www.wayfair.com/pet/pdp/arc...107.html?&experiencetype=2&selectedvertical=3 I doubled the run area. They are outside all day and in the coop at night.

There are no leaks that I can detect. It has 2 ventilation slits/holes on one side- you can see it at the link I posted. I hose the pea grave in the run everyday.

So it's roughly 7 sq ft inside. The ventilation is very inadequate - those little slits are probably a big reason you have odor issues, as they're not enough to let in ample fresh air and allow ammonia to escape. I'd recommend adding some "windows," covered with hardware cloth and possibly something like louvered gable vent covers or hinged awnings to buffer winds/rain (since there's no roof overhang to work with). I'd recommend adding at least two, facing directly across from each other, to allow for some cross breezes.

Your hosing the pea gravel might end up coming back to bite you. Poop + gravel + water can to turn into a stinky mess, as bits of poop get washed down and lodged between the gravel. Might work fine for the time being but if you start noticing a smell from the run, that's the cause. Main methods of handling poop in a run is sand (if it can be kept dry and poop scooped regularly) and deep litter, which composts down the poop along with mixed organic matter.

 

[VikkD]

I do not spray inside the coop. I will switch to once a week for the run and see how that goes.

 

[Flockincrazy]

K good don't spray it oh I just looked at the link so not enough ventilation you need some on both sides to get a cross breeze and i would try straw instead of chips i have 34chickens and you can't even smell them unless your standing next to the coop and I clean my coop 2x a yr I have 2 and 1/2 open walls and inserts that go in for winter plus i have ducks turkeys geese and quail i have asked my neighbors if they smell my birds i get a resounding NO from them all