New to Chickens - My pen stinks

[Jammin Steel]

Smelly Pen, flies are increasing in numbers, etc. I'm hosing with water and cleaning but it doesn't seem to help. What is my best course of action to have a clean smelling, health pen?

 

[Break an Egg]

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It needs to be dry, I would add some dry stall or sweet pdz. The water is going to make matters worse.

 

[2txmedics]

I use to have the same problem, I was using hay for my flock of 32,....I had flies all over and it stunk BAD!!!! I couldnt stand it and thought maybe I had made a mistake getting chickens. I researched in here over and over I asked, and I have found a solution and I love it!!!!

I switched from Hay as it gets all matted up and sticky, and I also found out it not only gets brittle and hurts when getting eggs, but its hollow like straw so it can harbor lice/mites!!! So I bought some food grade DE, and several bags of shavings since my coops is a nice size. I took out the hay, got a hoe and just scrubbed my coop down inside, the chicken poop had not touched the wood flooring. I then added the bags of shavings and I mixed in DE and I stirred and mixed it heavy, Wear a mask so you dont breath it in....I now have 5" of DEEP LITTER, SHAVINGS WITH DE MIXED IN IT....

I now change my shavings once every 6mos to 1yr....I just sift out the hard poop like you would a kitty litter box, NO STINK, NO FLIES AND NO LICE/MITES!!!!! I love it!!!

 

[happymom99]

I see shavings mentioned a lot on BYC. Shavings of what? If I go to buy some do I just ask for shavings or is there a certain kind? If I want to try to find them on-line, what do I do a search for?
Thank you,
CJ

 

[B'villechicken]

Pine shavings. You can get them at Tractor Supply or any place that caters to the farm/horse trade. I use the deep litter method and get enough to make my 8x8 coop 6" deep with the stuff. Refresh periodically and completely hoe it out once a year. Agree that the smell is from too damp conditions. See PatandChickens dissertation on ventilation.

David

 

[gryeyes]

Pine shavings. Don't buy it online - the shipping would be outrageous.

Most feed stores have it in bales (compressed and wrapped in plastic) and it fluffs out to cover an amazing amount of coop flooring. I keep mine about four, five inches deep. Wonderful stuff. Just add some every week or so, then clean out the coop twice a year.

Now, the run... If it gets wet, it will smell. I am gonna put down a world of sand for that, later this year.

 

[ThinkingChickens]

I'm so worried about DE. I saw it at the feed store and it said "keep away from children" and "seek immediate medical help if breathed in." That sounds so dangerous to be around. Perhaps someone with real life experience can ease my mind as I'd love to use the litter method you are suggesting!

 

[2txmedics]

Get FOOD GRADE DE.....like any product, use with care, but its safe for flocks....on the shavings make sure you get the right one's and not the one's that are so tiny like saw dust...that wont work, you will need a ton of that one. I hated it when my feed store changed and I had to buy that. I complained and found out I was not the only one, they went back to the reg. size shavings.

I also found a guy, from a lumber yard that sells 50lbs bags for 3.50. Craiglist and just type in shavings

 

[happymom99]

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What a pretty girl! What kind of chicken is this?

 

[happymom99]

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That sounds rather scary to me, too.