Smelly run... YUCK!

[pkforever]

So my run smells... It didn't until I went in today and tilled up all the soil that had gotten packed down. Now it smells BAD!!

Besides lime what is a good way to make it less smelly?

 

[ZombieChickens]

How big is the run? Would it be cost effective to put in stone? I've heard you can get bags of it at Walmart for a couple of bucks. My run was manky and muddy and stinky, and I used the stones from under our old deck. It seemed to help!

 

[kingdr85]

Did you mix the stones with the dirt or just layed the stones on top?

 

[pkforever]

I used to have gravel mixed in but it's all disappeared now... I've been thinking about buying a couple more bags. when you say stone how big are you talking?

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Stall Dry is GREAT!! It is sand with DE.

I use it in my coop layered with white pine shavings and wood pellets. It ends up being black fluffy compost.

 

[DIYSeattle]

I noticed that when it doesnt rain for a while then rains and you dig it up it smells the worst. When its dry its not so bad. I try not to mess with mine if it has been raining a lot. Once it dries out I go in with a garden hoe and till it up.

 

[sneakers]

I put a tarp over my outside run. That helps alot. The birds like it too. They stay out in the rain. I give them fresh hay everyday to pick at and dig in. That keeps it dry. When it gets to stinken I fork out all the old hay, put down pine chips and some new hay. I have to stay ahead of it because I have a deck close by and nobody wants to be overcome with the smellies!

 

[AnnainMD]

We have a product in Maryland called Leaf-Gro (leaves collected from residences and then composted with nothing added). I added a few inches in their run and oh my goodness, what a difference. It literally doesn't smell at all, AT ALL. We have compacted clay dirt and no matter how many times I tilled, pitchforked, raked, I couldn't manage the smell. It wasn't horrible or terrible or awful mind you, but I didn't like the smell I was smelling. And I really wanted to nip it in the bud. So far so good.

Don't know if this is anything you can use but: http://www.southernoregoncompost.com/

We got ours in bulk, WAY cheaper that way.

 

[mcostas]

I thought stones would hurt their feet.