Newbie-tips on keeping run and coop clean, minimizing smells

[Shawna235]

I grew up on the farm and so very familiar w/ barnyard smells but I am trying to be considerate of my neighbors and the nearby business. What is the best way to keep the odor to a minimum and keep the run and coop clean? I saw a great idea to put a shelf of sand or "Stall dri" under the roosts... I am leaning toward a linoleum floor... our coop will be in a green belt that is part of an existing dog run enclosed in cyclone fence. The total space is 80' long by 12' wide under fir trees. How much area should be sectioned off for the chicken yard? The plan is for an 8'x4' coop for 9 hens. Thank you!

 

[chestypuller]

i hear that linolean is good

 

[newfrom NJ]

I use sand in the run and scoop it every other day like cat litter. It is convenient and can be less odorous than the deep litter method. ( though I know many people here use DLM and claim they have no smell) Also consider having less chickens. I have four hens in a 10 by 10 coop and because of the ample space and the small amount of hens I have no odor from my coop at all. Ive also heard the pine pellets sold for horse stalls can be excellent IN the coop.

 

[Shawna235]

Thank you. I already have my chicks so the number is set. The kids were pretty ambitious. Sand is a great idea for the run. I am using the nugget type of bedding for them now but was leaning toward pine shavings for the coop. I plan to compost the poo and dirty bedding as well.

 

[KimKimWilliamso]

I plan to use to the wood shavings IN my coop as well, as access to sand in a land locked province isnt easy/cheap, LOL But I had heard on another homesteading site that pine shavings do NOT break down easily/quickly in the compost pile, thus arent ideal. I was dissapointed to hear that, as I was plannning to compost mine as well. Just a thought....

 

[crchickens]

We burn our wood chips from the goat barn. I tried composting and it was a disaster. Now, I clean the barn, and we burn the pile. It keeps us from having smells/flies that may bother our neighbors.

 

[StephanieH]

Curious why composting was a disaster? I hate to think of those wood chips being burned, but if it doesn't work, it doesn't work! Just wondering...

 

[janelle18]

I grew up on the farm and so very familiar w/ barnyard smells but I am trying to be considerate of my neighbors and the nearby business. What is the best way to keep the odor to a minimum and keep the run and coop clean? I saw a great idea to put a shelf of sand or "Stall dri" under the roosts... I am leaning toward a linoleum floor... our coop will be in a green belt that is part of an existing dog run enclosed in cyclone fence. The total space is 80' long by 12' wide under fir trees. How much area should be sectioned off for the chicken yard? The plan is for an 8'x4' coop for 9 hens. Thank you!

I just built my coop, we decided to go with the linoleum floors for the easy cleaning, haven't had to do that yet, but i am hoping it would be easier, on top to the linoleum i put a layer of sand that i can rake the manure off. I use stall dri from my horses for the ammonium smell, it doesn't work AMAZING, but does hinder the smell. I put a shelf with some of my extra linoleum underneath the main roost, and so far has worked great in catching manure!!

 

[Shawna235]

Thanks for the tips. Well, the coop is finished-7x5' or so. We did use linoleum which has worked wonderfully! I did the tray w/ sand for droppings under the roosts and I scoop that w a large slotted spoon and add to the compost pile. The shavings dirty bedding will go in the yard waste bin. I believe the reference to a disaster composting the shavings is because it takes so long to break down that you don't get nitrogen rich compost, but more like mulch. Been reading up on composting (who knew it was such a precise art?) and will not add the pine shavings to that pile! Thanks for all the advice and tips. We have zero odor and the whole set up has been problem free, thus far. The run itself is not completely secured and they have had free roam of the back yard. To date they have not quite discovered the tender morsels in the garden beds themselves but hoping to get my husband working on the enclosing fence to restrict the birds to the bird safe landscape and keep the vegetables off limits.