Sand in run getting a little stinky....Help

[fasschicks]

I am about 5 weeks into getting chickens and my sand run (7x15) is getting a little stinky. I go out about 1 time a week and rake/scoop the poop. I made the mistake of making my coop (Wichita style) portion 6 feet wide. It takes a little bit of acrobatics to get my rake back 6 feet.

My entire run is under a roof so rain only gets through the front portion. The sand seems to stay damp, though. Does anyone have any ideas on how to keep the smell down in the run? I have Sweet PDZ that I use for the coop and bedding and it works great, but I am not sure if I can use it in a damp run or if that stuff will turn to clay or muck. I have thought about DE, but think that is pretty expensive to put down?

Any thoughts, suggestions? I would appreciate it. Thanks!

Fass

 

[BorneHomestead]

can you get a small tiller in there? that might help turn the sand easier than raking.

 

[fasschicks]

The portion of the run that is under the coop is only 2 feet off the sand, so getting a tiller might not work. I don't mind using the rake, it just seems that there might be some residual smell out there that I just can't get with my rake. I use a bow rake with some 1/4-inch hardware cloth to sift through the sand to get the chunks. I just think there might be small bits and pieces of poo that I am missing (kind of like when you have bad cat litter that the clumps fall apart into tiny pieces that you can never scoop).

So, if there is something that can make the smell go away (with damp sand), I would love to use it. If Sweet PDZ works in damp sand, then I will use that.

Fass

 

[yogifink]

No, sweet pdz will not work if the sand is wet.

If your sand is staying wet, than you probably have a drainage problem. Solve the drainage/wetness problem and you will eliminate the smell. *Not to mentiion, in your area wet sand equals frost bite...

 

[fasschicks]

Thanks. I thought that was the case with the PDZ. My sand is more damp than wet because it has been raining so much lately and has been cool that it doesn't get much of a chance to dry out. It is definitely not soaking wet by any means, just slightly damp.

I just want to be sure that it doesn't start bothering the neighbors. Definitely not to that point, but I don't want it to get out of hand now that the weather is so dreary lately and snow is inevitable.

 

[ll]

Sand can be washed & sun dried.

 

[OScarlet]

From the manufacturer's website

"
Will Sweet PDZ keep working even if it gets wet?
Moisture does not reduce the effectiveness of Sweet PDZ. By its composition, Sweet PDZ is always holding some water, and this is what allows the cation exchange function to take place. A cation of ammonium is taken up, and a cation of sodium or potassium is released."

 

[c2chicks]

is your sand deep enough?? I had a smell problem when my sand was 2-3". I added more, now it is 4-6" and no smell! Which is really the same thing as noted above: drainage