Smelly sand in coop

[Chickenkeepr]

I replaced the floor in my coop a couple of months ago, added poop boards and put sand in the coop as well for bedding. It.Smells.HORRIBLE. I clean it daily, and it still stinks. I know chickens are going to stink but is there anything I can add to it to help cut the smell a little? The poop boards each have a bag of Sweet PDZ on them which gets scooped up daily. (which I've found that kitty litter scoops suck for this purpose as half the poop falls through..what else can I use?)

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I know chickens are going to stink

Not true. I only find that to be true if they are overcrowded or something is off in the husbandry. Can you describe the coop size and your flock? How deep is the sand? Are you getting water/moisture in your coop? What is the ventilation like?

I do not use sand but I think some people mix sweet pdz into it. They will obviously not just poop on the poop boards so the coop sand needs to be scooped as well. People make their own scoops. I think they use hardware cloth but I'm not sure.

I have 80 birds and my coop and run do not stink unless it is fresh after a rain. The only thing I can smell out there normally is the stinky fly traps.

 

[Chickenkeepr]

I have 30 birds (23 chickens, 7 ducks). The inside coop is 8x8, with a covered 8x8 run that they also roost in (and will be enclosed this fall to allow for a full 16x16 enclosed coop). Water is kept outside in the open area (which does stink after the rain). They are let out around 7:30 am and free range until they roost at night when I shut the door to the run. I do scoop and rake the sand inside the coop daily as well as clean out the next boxes. There are two windows in the coop which are always open (they are prop up windows so the rain does not get in) as well as having open soffet and the door to the run is always open. I have not noticed any wet sand inside the coop, no leaks in the roof, poop boards are dry etc.

 

[sfgwife]

I have 30 birds (23 chickens, 7 ducks). The inside coop is 8x8, with a covered 8x8 run

For 30 birds you need at least 90 sq ft inside. And 240 outside. This is bare bones minimum. Inside you only have 64 and out you have the same. That may be contributing to smell. Way not enough room for that many birds... esp havin ducks in the mix. I am not sure how many sq ft ducks need but i would think more because they are bigger and more messy birds. This is most likely not helpin with smell.

 

[Chickenkeepr]

Even though many of them choose to roost outside in the covered portion (lots of leftover roost space inside)? I plan on whittling down some before winter, but they will have the entire 128sqft as "coop". The ducks spend a majority of the time in the run when they are in, and they have almost 5 acres during the day to roam.

 

[Folly's place]

x2. It's too crowded, and the ducks should have their own space elsewhere. Sand is going to be a smelly mess anyway! Deep litter will be much better, and fixing the overcrowded conditions. Mary

 

[Chickenkeepr]

Will work on getting the covered portion of the run enclosed..maybe it will help although they use it to roost currently. I've been wanting to build a little "duck house"..I guess I should start looking up plans for one lol. I tried deep litter in the past and wasn't happy with it. I switched to sand to provide a nice cool substrate and some place for them to dust bathe that stays dry.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I think the ducks are a major contributor to the smell. I have only had one waterfowl, a goose, and her poops were big, wet, and stinky. I do not plan on ever having waterfowl again unless I have an actual pond and large separate sleeping quarters for them, just because they are prone to creating so much mess.

What did you not like about the deep litter? That is what I do in my coops and run and I am very happy with it.

 

[aart]

The poop boards each have a bag of Sweet PDZ on them which gets scooped up daily. (which I've found that kitty litter scoops suck for this purpose as half the poop falls through..what else can I use?)

I use a metal mesh basket and only 1/2" of sand/PDZ,
sifting all of it every day or two.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/6...raphic-gross-poop-pictures/1100#post_13179595

I use dry pine shavings on floor, changing them out once or twice a year.

Deep litter in run works great.
Here's a great description of contents and how to manage organic 'bedding' in a run or coop...and there's a great video of what it looks like.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1037998/muddy-run-help-please#post_16017992


I agree your coop is too crowded and only going to get worse when the winter weather keeps them in the coop for days on end.
Hows your ventilation in the coop?

 

[Chickenkeepr]

@aart there are two windows which are always open, vented soccer and the door to the run is always open. Weather permitting, the door of the coop is propped open for the 12 or so hours they are free ranging. Many of the birds choose to roost in the covered part of the run, but that will be enclosed and insulated this fall, essentially making two connected 8x8 coops. By that time I hope to be down by two drakes, an old hen and possibly this darn rooster if he keeps waking me up at the crack of dawn lol.

I sprinkled DE all over the run this afternoon and make a mixture of baking soda and dried lavender flowers, spearmint, and parsley that I mixed in the sand in the coop and mixed into the sweet PDZ on the poop boards as well.