A great way to keep down the slight odor the pen may produce, is with the use of Stall Dry. It is a product sold by Tractor Supply Co. and was designed to use in horse stalls to soak up PEE. I use wood shavings in my hen house, and change them weekly. I sprinkle a scoop of Stall Dry down before putting down the shavings. I also sprinkle it over chicken poop around the pen and in any wet spots that develop. It contains diatamatious (sp?) earth which also prevents fly's from breeding there. I've also found that it gets rid of fire ant mounds, that are a big problem down here. I don't like to use poison as we are close to a creek, and that stuff just gets rid of them. I like the Stall Dry the best as it is the least expensive and is more readily available. There are other similar compounds out there, but they don't last as long, and you get a smaller bag for more money. Hope this helps.
