Smell, is it really that bad?

tororider

Songster
Feb 6, 2008
375
2
194
Southeast MI
My parents and all their friends their age, mid 50's, all say that they remember chickens as smelling terrible. From everything I have read, if you stir the litter, and clean when necessary they don't smell bad. I need some reassuring so I can reassure my wife and family that they won't smell terrible. Thanks
 
That comes from people who've never been around a properly managed backyard flock or only seen commercial chicken houses. Gee, dog poop and cat poop smells to high heaven if it isn't cleaned up, right? You just have to manage things properly and they will have little smell. Especially, dont crowd them in a too small space without adequate ventilation. My best friend told me, "Oh, don't get chickens! They smell awful!". Now she loves my girls and realizes that they don't have to smell bad.
 
i have had friends come into the coop and say,,,why doesnt it smell in here?
as long as you remove wet shavings, stir things around place fresh on top, you wont have much smell,,,i myself had a hard time getting used to this deep method,,,but it works,,,i am one in summer to be raking out coop alot,,,so it was hard for me,,but it isnt bad,
 
Too many birds and poor ventilation may produce an ammonia smell. I fight
with that sometimes.

The worst smell that comes from my chickens is that occassional poop that one
makes. It smells like they were out eating Mexican food and drinking beer all
night.
 
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I have 9 chickens in a 10x12 coop. I do not have an odor problem at all. All I do is pick up on a daily basis any large poo's I can see.
I also place fabric softener sheets out & about the coop which keeps it smelling fresh. They are out of reach from the kids. If it is warm outside I also keep front window open and a side window open for ventilation.
I am a neat freak so I do a large cleaning once a month, most from what I read here do a major clean once a year. My kids do run the yard all day so it is also loaded with poo. So far no neighbor complaints. As previously noted dog & cat poo smells worse than chicken poo.
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DeeDee
 
the only comments I've had about my coop is "it doesn't smell that bad"

and we didn't have enough ventilation, right now with my ventilation issue fixed there is no odor what so ever 9 chickens in a 8x8 coop
 
mine is a bit smelly-I usually clean it every 2-3 weeks and I haven't had the time when the weather was cooperating for about 5.It is the wet from the rain and the ducks that are causing the most problems.But Monday will be 60 and sunny-Tuesday even warmer.
 
I'm there too, I clean my coops once a week sometimes twice! All my birds are always clean and smell of fresh wood! From the shavings. I have had so many people compliment me on the way I care for my birds and all my animals. I figure if I was a chicken, I would want to be cared for very well, so I try my very best to do that for all of my animals. You can touch all of them and not feel dirty or like you need to rush inside and wash your hands.
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-Theresa
 

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