Smells!!

[sethsleader]

Ive got a flock of four that free range in our paved garden, I scrub out the coop floor every day and wash it into the drain where I have placed a 'bung'. I then collect all of the harder bits and take to aa local farmers field. However my neighbour is complaining that she can small the chooks in her kitchen and wants me to move the coop (Impossible).

Can I use something to help with the odour? in the drain and coop?

 

[Judy]

Wood/pine shavings, pine pellets (sold for horse stalls,) and pelletized lime (sold for lawns) all help reduce odor. So does baking soda, but it gets a bit expensive. Is the odor coming from the coop or the paved garden? No way would I clean a coop every day. That's what litter is for.

 

[Thomas423]

How close is the coop to the neighbor's kitchen? If you are going to all that trouble I doubt if it really smells. Maybe she "thinks" that she can smell it. The mind works that way. I havn't tried it yet, but I plan on buying stall-dry. I read alot of posts saying it really helps with the smell. Also, if you are really close, maybe you can hang some air freshners between the coop and her kitchen window. Good luck with the neighbor, sounds like she might be a complainer.

 

[patandchickens]

Yup, try using bedding (litter).

It is actually possible your hosing is making things worse -- what keeps smells down is having the poo (and the surfaces it contacts) as totally-dry as possible, and if you are dampening the coop every day...

Another thing that will help is if you can put a droppings board under the roost and scrape the poo off it every morning (and dispose of elsewhere). This will take hardly any time but removes almost 50% of the birds' daily output right then and there.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[valentinebaby]

Would definitely recommend Stall Dry - I found mine at TSC. REALLY eliminated the smell in my run due to the wet feed.... I just sprinkled about 3 cups of it over a 100 s.f. area and was surprised to find that so little worked that well. Good luck!

 

[Sissy]

Ditto
,no way can I clean a coop every day not enough time.
I have 5 hens and a roo in 4x8 coop and I clean it every 6 months but adding Permectrin powder 1 can last for 200 chx.$ 5.plus change..
with fresh wood shavings. 2 sacks
and stir it up. if shaving become to high then i rake some out
to the compost pile.
I also have 4 other coops. so smell here. and no flys ,no mites

I also sprinkle it around the our side grounds of each coop.
you can aslo sprinkle some in each nest. each month.
anyway thats what i do, hope it helps.

 

[sethsleader]

Shes a complainer alright, its all because I complained 12months ago to Aminal welfare because she went on holiday for a week leaving 4 cats, fish, 2 rabbits, an incontenant dog (that howls due to seperation anxiety) and a bird at home. A young boy popped in for 5-10 minute a day and that was all of the 'care' that the poor things recieved for 8 days!
Thanks for all of your suggestions Ive ordered some Zeolite grains to mix with sawdust for the girs run.

 

[AnnesChicks]

Ditto shavings and stall dry. Stall dry is combo of DE & clay, non toxic and safe to use with chickens. So far for me the deep litter method is the only way to go. You can get both from your local feed store. I buy a bale of compressed shavings for aout $8, I used one to set up the coop the end of Feb and am just now down to the bottom of the second bale. I bought a 40# bag of stall dry for $13, it will probably last me several years.

Once a week I add a layer of shavings, sprinkle a cup or two of Stall dry, rake it lightly and thats it. I have a small coop with 8 hens and have not cleaned my coop since March - no smells - no flies.