Olfactory Assault

[Soujrnr]

Hi all. We use the deep litter method in our coop, but I am wondering if we're doing something wrong. We use pine shavings and they are probably eight inches thick right now in their roosting area. We turn it over every day, but the smell of ammonia is very strong. It does dissipate a bit after we turn the shavings, but should it be smelling like that? I thought the ammonia smell was the sign of something amiss. Any suggestions? Should I just clean it all out, add it to the compost heap, and start over with fresh shavings, or what?

 

[SourRoses]

Ventilation in your coop?

Ammonia rises, so upper ventilation right under the roof is the best way to keep it clear.

 

[ChaosMom]

First fix the cause - check the ventilation as SourRoses says. Then you can apply zeolite, a mineral that neutralizes the ammonia. It's commonly bought as Sweet PDZ (get the horse stall version for a better deal), although someone recently posted that they'd found it at Home Depot as just zeolite for even less.

 

[DobieLover]

First fix the cause

The cause is over production of manure. The actual problem is that there are more than likely too many birds pooping in too small a space producing too much ammonia. A properly running deep litter will smell earthy, not like ammonia. Adding minerals to adsorb the odors is not the solution. Reducing population density to the point where the current climate conditions can function with the correct amount of moisture and warmth to keep the composting active.

I would recommend switching over to poop boards that are scooped daily or deep bedding that is cleaned out at least monthly, depending on load. The goal is to NEVER smell even a small amount of ammonia in the coop. If a human can smell it, it is already at a concentration that can cause respiratory damage to a bird's sensitive system.

 

[Soujrnr]

The cause is over production of manure. The actual problem is that there are more than likely too many birds pooping in too small a space producing too much ammonia. A properly running deep litter will smell earthy, not like ammonia. Adding minerals to adsorb the odors is not the solution. Reducing population density to the point where the current climate conditions can function with the correct amount of moisture and warmth to keep the composting active.

I would recommend switching over to poop boards that are scooped daily or deep bedding that is cleaned out at least monthly, depending on load. The goal is to NEVER smell even a small amount of ammonia in the coop. If a human can smell it, it is already at a concentration that can cause respiratory damage to a bird's sensitive system.

My understanding is that chickens should have at least four square feet per bird in a coop. My coop is 50 square feet, not including the second level where they roost, which is another 32 square feet, so they have a total of over 80 square feet for seven birds, plus the attached run, which is 20 ft. long and eight feet wide. I'm thinking population density is not an issue.

 

[Soujrnr]

Ventilation in your coop?

Ammonia rises, so upper ventilation right under the roof is the best way to keep it clear.

The roof is made of corrugated roofing, so there is plenty of airflow, but I think one of my problems is that I have the coop sealed up a bit more for the winter months, and so the ventilation just may not be adequate until I open up the coop more. I'll try that, too. Thank you.

 

[DobieLover]

I'm thinking population density is not an issue.

It would be if you are trying to get the composting going in your (current) climate. That is the way deep litter works. It can slow down/stop when it's too cold to support it, and even more poop is loaded into the system during the cold weather as the birds are roosting/pooping in the coop longer due to the shorter days. I hope this makes clearer the point I was trying to make. I was not implying that your coop was too small for your birds. I was implying that there is a poop overload for the population density you have in your climate. It might work if you only had a single bird pooping in there.
This being said, I would use a different poop management system. Deep litter is clearly not working in your setup.

 

[Iluveggers]

I tried deep litter this winter. Hated it. It didn’t smell much, until temps rose above freezing and the poop started to thaw. I know it works for others but we each experiment until we know what works for us.

I’ll go back to quick scoop spot checks every morning. Takes me less than 5 minutes, I just scoop the big piles in a bucket and dump in the compost. Makes a world of difference.

 

[perkolator]

Is your bedding system damp and actively composting, or is it dry?

I personally do deep DRY bedding system and it doesn't really smell. My understanding of deep litter is that it's gotta be damp and actively composting in order to work. It will have lots of soil microbes and biology working to eat the feces and compost it on the spot, but moisture content and depth are key points to making that system actually work; 8" doesn't sound deep enough to me. Should basically resemble and smell like a compost pile with lots of broken-down material in it.

 

[Soujrnr]

Is your bedding system damp and actively composting, or is it dry?

I personally do deep DRY bedding system and it doesn't really smell. My understanding of deep litter is that it's gotta be damp and actively composting in order to work. It will have lots of soil microbes and biology working to eat the feces and compost it on the spot, but moisture content and depth are key points to making that system actually work; 8" doesn't sound deep enough to me. Should basically resemble and smell like a compost pile with lots of broken-down material in it.

I'd have to say it's somewhat damp and active. I think what I should probably do is clean it out thoroughly since spring is here, and then start fresh with a new bed of pine shavings on top of a thin layer of the old stuff to keep the microbes there.