Smelly Chicken run

[cooters chicken run]

I was wondering if some one could help me with a smelly run area its 10ft.- 40ft. it has a open top. Is there anything i can put on the ground that would keep the smell down. I was thinking of lime like the hog farmers do but im thinking it would burn there feet. Its a dirt floor i put straw and hay in it and clean it all the time but the dropping of the chickens is soaked in the ground and has a very bad odor on hot days. THANKS COOTER

 

[NonnasBabies]

Quote:
You can use lime, you also can use DE!! Is it muddy??? Cause as long as mine is dry it doesn't smell. Now when we got so much rain it turns to muck then it's a nasty mess!!

I forgot to add

 

[cooters chicken run]

Quote:
You can use lime, you also can use DE!! Is it muddy??? Cause as long as mine is dry it doesn't smell. Now when we got so much rain it turns to muck then it's a nasty mess!!

I forgot to add

If i did put lime down should i till it in to the wet dirt are just put it on top of the wet ground i did not know if it would burn there feet are be bad on there lungs. and what is DE im new to this lol THANKS

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know how many chickens you have in there, but if it is dry it should not smell unless you have a whole lot of chickens. I suggest you read this for ideas.

Pat’s Big Ol' Mud Page (fixing muddy runs):
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-fix-a-muddy-run

Good luck with it. Sometimes it is next to impossible to keep them really dry, but I do think the moisture is your problem.

 

[san415]

I have found that wood chips like the kind that is used for garden mulch works in my run. If you have a truck you can find places or the city that will fill the truck bed for you. But since I need to move it my self I just buy the bags from the building & garden store type places. Also I have found bags of stuff in the TSC store that was to keep barns smelling good. Like stall PDZ ( not sure if that is the initials) and have put that down and then the wood chips.

I use the scoop type cat litter spread out in my dogs area, but I am afraid the chickens might eat it? So I don't put that in the chicken yard, but it works great and smells good for the dogs area.
I think hay and straw break down to fast and so they smell when wet. Wood chips seem to work better for me. I also just sweep the coop pine shavings out into the chicken yard when I clean the coop. At first I thought that might be a bit ick, but I read where some one else did that and have been trying it. I clean my coop almost every two weeks, adding 2 bales of shavings to the yard each time. My yard is in a sandy area so I am sure that helps also.

 

[sabella]

The stall PDZ is great stuff. I use it behind my horse barn where one of my boys INSISTS on peeing every chance he gets. The PDZ granules are easier to use than the powder.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

If i did put lime down should i till it in to the wet dirt are just put it on top of the wet ground i did not know if it would burn there feet

Use pelletized lime and NOT "hydrated" lime and it won't burn them

There's no need to till it in if the ground is level​