Smelly Coup

[Kerry Burgess]

My chicken coup smells bad even though I clean up the poop. How can I alleviate at least some of the smell? Proven methods only please.

 

[aart]

My chicken coup smells bad even though I clean up the poop. How can I alleviate at least some of the smell? Proven methods only please.

Need to see your coop first, and what kind of bedding your using.

This is my 'proven' method:
What kind of bedding you use may depend on how you manage the manure.
This is about cleaning, but covers my big picture

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.
-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.
- Large flake pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.
- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.
-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.
That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 9 years.

 

[kschickenlady]

I would say a lot depends on your coop design, what the flooring is made of, etc. We added a water-resistant layer (can't think of the material name, my hubs built the coop..) on top of the plywood floor, and I think that's helped a lot with odor control as water and other liquids aren't absorbing into the floor beneath the shavings.
You might try Sweet PDZ to help with odors - I have used that before with other livestock with good luck.

One other thing - make sure you are getting adequate airflow within the coop. Ammonia can build up and cause odors quickly. I have vents at the top of two walls near the roof, along with the door and a window I open with the weather is nice.

 

[Kerry Burgess]

Pics are attached. My birds are 5-6 weeks old. I won't let them free range until they are older. My coup is 16' x 6.5' overall. The hutch is 4.5' x 6.5'. It includes three nest boxes on three sides and there are two roost inside. There is plywood on the floor of the entrance. Beneath the roost is 1/2" x 1/2" hardware cloth. I did this to allow the poop to fall the the ground underneath the hutch. The run is 11.5' x 6.5' covered with 1/2" x 1/2" hardware cloth. I use pine shavings inside the hutch, probably need to increase the thickness but the chicks are in and out of the hutch scratching and kicking the pine shavings out on the ground. The floor is fine dirt and sand with the pine shavings the chicks scatter. The ground covered and stays dry with the exception of the water the chicks spill out of the eight automatic water bowls. I was thinking of using barn lime or PDZ but haven't yet because I am unsure how to use it. Don't want the poison my birds. Your suggestions are welcome. Cheers.

 

[Mountain Roost]

Are your chicks meat birds? They make a stink no matter what! lol

 

[aart]

Pics are attached. My birds are 5-6 weeks old. I won't let them free range until they are older. My coup is 16' x 6.5' overall. The hutch is 4.5' x 6.5'. It includes three nest boxes on three sides and there are two roost inside. There is plywood on the floor of the entrance. Beneath the roost is 1/2" x 1/2" hardware cloth. I did this to allow the poop to fall the the ground underneath the hutch. The run is 11.5' x 6.5' covered with 1/2" x 1/2" hardware cloth. I use pine shavings inside the hutch, probably need to increase the thickness but the chicks are in and out of the hutch scratching and kicking the pine shavings out on the ground. The floor is fine dirt and sand with the pine shavings the chicks scatter. The ground covered and stays dry with the exception of the water the chicks spill out of the eight automatic water bowls. I was thinking of using barn lime or PDZ but haven't yet because I am unsure how to use it. Don't want the poison my birds. Your suggestions are welcome. Cheers.

Why so many nests?
Are there windows in the hutch(coop)?
How do you deal with the poop that falls thru....is that where it is smelly?
You know that soon the poop won't just fall thru (corrected)1/2" mesh?

 

[Kerry Burgess]

Are your chicks meat birds? They make a stink no matter what! lol

No. Egg layers.

 

[Kerry Burgess]

Why so many nests?
Are there windows in the hutch(coop)?
How do you deal with the poop that falls thru....is that where it is smelly?
You know that soon the poop won't just fall thru 1.2" mesh?

Nest boxes (so many) That's just the way I built it. Uniformity I guess.
No windows. The soffits are open and the wire openings under the roost.
The poop that falls thru I rake every few days.
1.2" mesh? You mean 1.5" - too late now to install new wire.

 

[aart]

Nest boxes (so many) That's just the way I built it. Uniformity I guess.
No windows. The soffits are open and the wire openings under the roost.
The poop that falls thru I rake every few days.
1.2" mesh? You mean 1.5" - too late now to install new wire.

No, was a typo, meant 1/2" as you indicated.
If you are only scraping the poop thru ever few days, that could sell be the source of the stink.

Good that soffits are open.
Windows would be better than more than enough nests for the size of coop.(Function over Form )

What is your climate?
Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[gingerbee33]

Hi there. I’m new to chicken keeping and am learning something new everyday. I found out really quick what I do and do not like in keeping the coop and chicken yard. Here are a couple of things that I do to keep my chicks area clean. It’s working really well and with virtually no odor. I use fine pine shavings in the coop and clean up the droppings everyday. The shavings have built up to probably four inches or so. Any poop left behind clumps and dries quickly and It’s easily seen on the next clean up. I also wipe down the roost with a disinfectant every morning too. It takes me about half hour every morning to clean and set my chicks up for the day. I have 19 birds, and they’re 18 weeks old. I have simple roosts, which is two 2 x 4 laying flat. 4 ft off the floor. The droppings fall to the pine shavings and each morning I pick up the waste. The birds perch on a flat board and their poop falls straight down. All of my birds are on a level playing field with the perch. The boards are the same height from the floor and one is about 14” from the back wall and the other is 12” out from it. It gives the birds room to perch and the waste falls to the ground. I have a lengthy ladder with rungs for them to get up to the roost. As for the run, I rake it at the end of the day and remove leavings or grass or whatever.