Official BYC Poll: How Do You Keep Your Coop Smelling Fresh?

[fluffy07]

I have a nice size shed with wooden floor and linoleum and pine shavings on top. I clean poop every day, and if necessary to spot clean I spray white vinegar and water. I sprinkle dried basil throughout and in nest boxes. Lots of ventilation! They spend most of their time outside in covered run and just use shed for nighttime.

Just to say, WATCH OUT FOR LINOLEUM! It's a real home for mites, nice and warm and damp. I took mine up and it was filled with red mites. Always use something that breathes, like newspaper.

 

[ngbells1]

I use sand in the coop and their roost is near a big door on the front which makes daily scooping so easy. I put down lime in the coop and use stall pellets in the run. The pellets eventually break down to a sawdust like material and absorbs lots of moisture

 

[Lee13]

Dont apologize…there’s a ton to learn! Welcome. Poop boards are something built below your roost bars in the coop. It holds the poop that the chickens poop during the night while they are sleeping. they poop A LOT!!! If you can see the tray under the roost. That is a poop board. I sprinkle sweet PDZ on the board to keep odor down. Good Luck!

Thank you!!!!!

 

[rockinpaints]

I use Stalosan-F as well. It is available here https://www.qcsupply.com/stalosan-f-dry-disinfectant-33lb.html
It is a little spendy but one of the best products I have used for the coops. If you are lucky enough to be in a state that has a QC Suppy you will save the $20 shipping. I wish more places carried it.

 

[dannicorth]

A thin layer of Sweet PDZ on the poop boards, poop boards scooped daily, hemp bedding on the coop floor, hemp bedding changed out annually, 22 sq ft of year round ventilation with an additional 22 sq ft opened up for warm weather ventilation and probably most significantly, a predator proof run attached to the coop where the pop door is never closed where the chickens immediately retreat to when coming off the roost.
The run is covered with wood chips that get raked about every other month to even them out and everything cold composts in there. I've never removed material from the run. My brother-in-law commented when he entered the coop for the first time "I can't believe it doesn't smell in here."
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[dannicorth]

A thin layer of Sweet PDZ on the poop boards, poop boards scooped daily, hemp bedding on the coop floor, hemp bedding changed out annually, 22 sq ft of year round ventilation with an additional 22 sq ft opened up for warm weather ventilation and probably most significantly, a predator proof run attached to the coop where the pop door is never closed where the chickens immediately retreat to when coming off the roost.
The run is covered with wood chips that get raked about every other month to even them out and everything cold composts in there. I've never removed material from the run. My brother-in-law commented when he entered the coop for the first time "I can't believe it doesn't smell in here."
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I love your setup. But where are the nesting boxes???

 

[DobieLover]

I love your setup. But where are the nesting boxes???

Click on the My Coop link under my avatar to see the coop build article. What I posted is from one of the cameras in the coop I use to spy on my flock!

 

[LaFleche]

Daily cleaning of poop boards and floor to keep it dry, and lavender cuttings from my garden mixed with softwood shavings to add a nice fragrance and expel parasites.

The doors consist of wooden frames covered in hardware cloth to allow for proper ventilation.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

what do ya’ll have underneath your bedding/litter? For example, i have plywood and stapled linoleum and about 4inches hemp. What is your opinion? They only sleep in the coop. Should I be concerned with the linoleum?
Thanks!

 

[Ascholten]

THe lineolium .. spelling yah I know, too lazy to correct. Might trap stuff underneath it after a while but don't thik it'll be too bad. Mine is just wood flanks, I have a chicken tractor that was given to me by someone else who had chickens. Just wood seems to be good and less expensive. If it's kept covered with the mulch etc then it should not get TOO dirty to begin with, but chickens do love to dig it all into a corner searching for bugs.

You said stapled linoleum my only concern might be that wood warps and its shape can flex over the staples working themselves out, and possibly trapping a toe over time.

Aaron