Smelly sand in run

[ntdd]

After lots of research we chose to use sand in our run. We sought out the correct type and everything. It is approximately 15x10, covered with a tarp and we put around 5" of sand into it a year ago. To be honest I had been slacking on the daily clean up over the winter. The frozen poop was hard to clean up 100%, I did the best I could but some was just too frozen to get it all. I also slacked on turning it/moving it around because it was so cold and frozen. Now that its summer the run is smelly. How do I solve this?

I've removed all visible waste. Its dry in there but the sand isn't as moveable as it was in the beginning, its kind of packed down. Would thoroughly turning it help or just release more odour? Are you supposed to add new sand every year? Do i have to take it all out? (NO!!!) Also, where would you dispose of that? Would one of those deodorizing powders solve it? Should I soak it with my hose to get it to soak into the dirt underneath (like washing it)?

HELP!

 

[tigger19687]

And that is the reason why many say no to using sand.

1, you should not have put a tarp down, you are stopping the flow of water.

2, No idea where you live and that makes almost all the difference.

3, if it was me, I would take out the sand and tarp, put sand back down in a 3 inch layer, cover with 8" of compost and then let them in to scratch around in it.
You can also use some straw to cover some so they dig around looking for stuff

 

[ntdd]

op was hard to clean up 100%, I did the best I could but some was just too frozen

And that is the reason why many say no to using sand.

1, you should not have put a tarp down, you are stopping the flow of water.

2, No idea where you live and that makes almost all the difference.

3, if it was me, I would take out the sand and tarp, put sand back down in a 3 inch layer, cover with 8" of compost and then let them in to scratch around in it.
You can also use some straw to cover some so they dig around looking for stuff

Sorry I should have worded the tarp part differently - the tarp is above, for a roof. There is nothing but dirt under the sand. I live in ontario, canada. Would you leave the compost/straw indefinitely or do you remove it periodically?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Optimally sand should be kept clean and dry in order to work well. If realistically you don't have the time or inclination to clean daily, it's probably not the right choice for your set up.

At this point you have tiny, pulverized bits of poop mixed into the sand and that's what's causing the stink. I don't know if any deodorizing products will actually fix it, or if it'd just be a temporary masking of it. Do NOT wet it, it'll only get worse.

Not sure if it needs to be removed, but maybe you could try starting up deep litter on top of it instead. Hope someone who has experience doing just that can weigh in with their experience.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I am thinking if it froze enough to be solid it got pretty wet.

I think for sand to work in a chicken run it needs to already have really good draining soil below or it gets wet and stinky.

Air helps dry things. Can you run a small tiller in there to break it up and stir it?
If so doing that daily can dry it significantly. Doing a deep litter on top after getting it dried out I think can help going forward without having to remove all that sand.

I know when I sold my ducks it took literally weeks of tilling the run daily to get it dry enough to put deep litter on top. I have clay though.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Your location makes a difference. I considered sand when I started but one of our informative Members reminded me of the wetness/humidity here. Hence went with a modified DLM ... Shavings on the ground (4" deep) and it's been working great. I just keep adding as I goes down & removing when I need mulch maybe once a year. I do sprinkle PDZ and DE monthly, my girls are confined (8x12x7), ferment their Flock Raiser and all's perfect. Take that back, hurricane season is miserable.

 

[ntdd]

I am open to the DLM but kind of nervous about flies? It is quite close to our deck where we spend a lot of time. How long does it take to build up those microbes? Our weather fluctuates between 10-30 Celsius right now, is that too hot to start? Could it be done directly on top of the sand I have now? What about when it rains? The majority of the run would stay dry but the edges would get wet... I've read a lot about it but still nervous. It sounds tricky to get the right balance. I don't want to end up with another smelly mess! Also what happens in the winter? We regularly get down to -25 (sometimes lower), so it would freeze solid...

 

[21hens-incharge]

I guess a big question is how much rain do you get?

It's a pretty dry climate where I am but my run is in the low part of the yard too. Mine stays fly free and pretty dry with just the added materials being stirred by the chickens all the time. It does get wet if we have a driving rain but that is rare and the deep litter dries fast.

 

[ntdd]

According to google it’s “a humid continental climate, with warm, humid summers, and cold, snowy winters.” I’d say it rains on average once a week. Amount varies - some times it’s just a quick sprinkle, other times it’s a heavy thunderstorm. The edges could become soaked with the latter. I never actually thought of us as a wet climate but I guess we are. Damn, sand was probably a poor choice then!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I am open to the DLM but kind of nervous about flies? It is quite close to our deck where we spend a lot of time. How long does it take to build up those microbes? Our weather fluctuates between 10-30 Celsius right now, is that too hot to start? Could it be done directly on top of the sand I have now? What about when it rains? The majority of the run would stay dry but the edges would get wet... I've read a lot about it but still nervous. It sounds tricky to get the right balance. I don't want to end up with another smelly mess! Also what happens in the winter? We regularly get down to -25 (sometimes lower), so it would freeze solid...

Not sure how it would handle very low freezing temps (we get snow, but only just below freezing temps).

Flies are going to be present around poop no matter what, though deep litter does a pretty good job controlling odor. I do have fly traps up to help control the population.

Rain isn't an issue either, I don't have a roofed run but we get plenty of rain, and our deep litter controls both odors and mud, which was a problem before. It doesn't take long for the litter to start making a difference either, I'd say within 6 months it completely stabilized the soil in the area of the run.