Odor!!...help, can't find cause

[Yard full o' rocks]

I have 3 coops, and each is attached to its own run. In the third coop, most recently used to "grow up" 5 Partridge Rocks, there is an "odor" that I can't seem to locate the cause of nor remove. It is a pungent, almost "decaying" type of smell (I can only liken it to the musky smell of snake) and it only seems to be coming from this one coop/run area. I have completely removed all of the bedding materials from the coop and replaced. I have raked the run completely down to the dirt and covered it with new "river sand". It is NOT coming from a chicken(s) as I have recently integrated the Partridge Rock hens into my main laying flock in another coop/run. It DOES seem to be coming from ground level. I am concerned....not sure if the "cause" is something that might harm my chickens.

Looking for suggestions. Is there anything dangerous that you would "smell" that strongly? Any ideas for removal? Hydrated lime? Bleach?

Odor is so unpleasant that it makes working around that area very uncomfortable after a short period of time.

Hoping someone has experienced something similar!!

Thanks in advance....

 

[speckledhen]

I have no idea, Scott. Whatever is causing it, if it's in the dirt, I'd till in hydrated lime or garden lime and DE mixture. At certain points, seems some areas of my pens smell like rotting potatoes, especially after a long rainy spell. Nothing except tilling in something like lime and letting it dry out will fix it.

The hydrated lime will burn so must be tilled under/watered in to fix that before the birds can walk on it. Pulverized limestone won't burn the feet, but it isn't as good as hydrated lime, I hear.

 

[annek]

Are you sure it is inside the run and not very close to it on the outside? I know when my animals kill a vole and leave it it will decay and really stink for quite a few feet around it. Also do you maybe have gas pipes in the area that could have a leak maybe? If it is in your run you need to put down something for the odor, if you try the lime you will need to make sure it is turned in well because it can burn your chickens feet, if you can get Sweet PDZ or Stall Dry it will work without the burning.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Quote:
Can't swear that its "in" the run...guess it could be under the coop (although I cant see anything and the coop is up on concrete blocks). We do not have natural gas where I live (all electric unfortunately), so that is not the issue. Guess I need to find some of this "Sweet PDZ" (tractor supply carry it??) nd give that a try.

I try very hard to keep my coops and runs cleaned out, so maybe, what you said about it being something "around" the run is the answer. Hope I can find it soon

THANKS

 

[kees]

Is it possible that a mole or rat died underneath the ground?

 

[vicky]

I've had a similar problem this week. My backyard stank with a really pungent decaying smell and I couldn't actually figure out where it was coming from.

Then I smelt the same smell 100m down the road and figured out the neighbours had just manured their gardens, and it was just the way the wind blowed that made me think it was coming from my coop.