Stinky run!!!!!

[Porpie Pie]

Hey guys!

I've got a 20'x20' chicken run and this year for whatever reason it...STINKS!!!! The ground is very hard because we have more clay like ground. I've dragged in the hose to wash the poop away but it also just seems like it never dries. There's shade but also a lot of breeze that goes through. Idk how to get rid of this smell. We've got a sand pit and I've thought about putting some boards up around along the perimeter of the run and filling in with a couple inches of sand but like I mentioned it's 20 ft x 20 ft and the stupid door is only 4 ft high so it'd be a lot of manual labor. Any other ideas before I get myself into this??? Thanks

 

[WIchickMama]

What kind of floor and/or materials do you have in your run?

Unless cement or similar I wouldn't hose down the poop. Wet run and poop equals stinky, especially if not drying.

Need to add some brown material- wood chips, leaves, pine shavings, clean dirt, etc. Sand might work, some have success with it.

Regular turning of materials helps too if your chickens aren't doing it for you. Also is the run covered?

 

[WIchickMama]

If you have pics to share that can help with advice giving too

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

I’d put down some PDZ or barn lime to dry Up the ground.

 

[DobieLover]

I’d put down some PDZ or barn lime to dry Up the ground.

That would be an awful lot of PDZ or lime for that much area. And it's only a temporary solution to the problem.

 

[DobieLover]

As has already been mentioned you need to put a thick layer of dry organic matter into the run so that the poop will slowly compost with the dry organic matter.
Never hose out the poop! That's never going to help. Wet and poop always equal stinky. Bad stinky!!
Your primary goal is to keep it as dry as possible in there.

 

[chickmamato7]

I wouldn't use sand in a wet area. It stinks when wet and never dries completely unless it gets direct sun. Damp sand also encourages mold growth if anything is placed on top of it, especially around food sources where chickens are likely to ingest it.

Maybe get a tiller in there and turn that clay soil, then add some dry organic matter like peat moss mixed with stall dry or barn lime. Top it off with a heavy layer of wood chips. Are there trees that could be trimmed to get more sun on the location?

 

[addctd2plnts]

I wouldn't use sand in a wet area. It stinks when wet and never dries completely unless it gets direct sun. Damp sand also encourages mold growth if anything is placed on top of it, especially around food sources where chickens are likely to ingest it.

Maybe get a tiller in there and turn that clay soil, then add some dry organic matter like peat moss mixed with stall dry or barn lime. Top it off with a heavy layer of wood chips. Are there trees that could be trimmed to get more sun on the location?

I agree about gtting a tiller to turn it. I'd suggest adding something called "Leaf Mold" and tillering it in. It isn't well known but leaf mold can be made or ordered from a landscape place. It will make the soil lighter and more porous. It's when clay gets wet that the bacteria sit at the top and make everything stinky. If the soil is lighter and more porous, things can travel downward better. Lime would also help. You could just top the soil with the leaf mold. It is dry and chickens would love turning it over. But it nothing will stay dry if you don't have a covered run.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

We have a lot of clay in our soil too. I found adding sand and wood chips helps as well as First Saturday Lime, especially after it rains. I add the sand to the spots where they dust bathe and I grab a shovel and turn over the spots where it hasn't been turned by the chickens. My run is smaller though so in your case the tilling would be more practical and maybe mixing sand when you til would help then follow with the dry litter or wood chips. It depends on your climate too. It's very dry here which is why the sand has worked for me to cut the clay in our run.

 

[Ridgerunner]

First, read this. There are two basic concepts, keep water out to start with or get water out when it gets wet. This link goes through some of those techniques. Some won't apply to your situation, some might.

How To Fix A Muddy Run Chicken Coop | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens

It's hard to cover a 20' x 20' run. If you do it needs to slope so water runs off instead of stands on it. Even then, rain blows in from the side. If your coop roof is funneling rainwater into your run are gutters and a downspout feasible? If rainwater is entering at ground level would a berm and swale help?

Clay does not drain well, sand does but only if the water has a place to drain to. If you are in a bowl the water has no place to drain to, even if you fill it with sand. If you dig a hole in the clay and fill it with sand you've just created a bathtub filled with sand and water that will stink since it can't drain away. It sounds counterintuitive but if you build the clay up into a mound and then cover that with sand it just might drain. Sand can be a good tool if it is used correctly and in the right conditions. It works for some people, for some it doesn't.

Some people have success by adding mulch or bedding in the area. That can dry it out and provide a good surface to walk on. But some people have to shovel that bedding back out if it stays wet and feeds the problem as it decays. What works for some people does not work for another, it depends on the unique conditions.

I don't know what your best answer is. But I do think the key is keeping it dry.