Super poop....stink!

[CowgirlPenny]

I have broodered chickens in my laundry room non stop since Feb 24 (not the same ones of course) but I have NEVER had chicks stink this way. I have two brooders right now. One with three bantams, and the other has two 1.5wk old SLW, and 4 Ameracuans, and a giant d'Uccle (big for it's age) everyone is happy and healthy, loud, sleepy, playful,etc but the bigger chick brooder stinks to high heaven. I clean it all the time. My husband will not even go in there. They do not eat any other food other than medicated chick starter and water. It looks like ceacal, and regular solid poop but wow it smells so bad! Why is this? no blood. It just has a strong odor.

And before someone says it...yes. I know chicken poop stinks (remember...brooder since Feb! lol) but this is like, on another level. They eat like crazy. I want to put the blame on the gigantic SLW, because it was super stinky in there with just those two!

 

[4kids*2dogs]

Mine stink too!!! Disgusting. They are in the basement and are 7 weeks old. I clean their brooder often too. We get the coop tomorrow and can't wait to get them out of the house.

 

[Keara]

when I raised meat birds, cornishx, I noticed more stink. I was told because they eat soooo much more they do not digest all thier food. It is actually the undigested food that stinks bad. If you were to wet some of the food and leave it out you would notice it smells just as bad! Maybe your birds are not digesting their food well, try giving them some yogurt it may help.
Personally I have a barn, and so very little stink.... in the house at least!

 

[teeville5]

I've noticed it since it's gotten warmer here this week. Are you using pine shavings and is there any dampness in the air? My chicks are in a brooder in the basement and it's gotten a bit of a damp feel this past week. From my understanding, the shavings pull in moisture so I'm thinking that it's pulling it in from the entire basement. In turn, their bedding seems more used and stinky.

So I change out the shavings every day while my girls are outside which is helping to keep the smell down. Thankfully, they will be outside permanently very soon.

 

[4kids*2dogs]

I put some yummy Yoplait Vanilla in the brooder just now. Maybe that will help. The smell isn't coming from the pine shavings as some of the poop has a vial diarrhea smell and look to it. Some of the chickens have normal, slug like poop and others have runny black poop. Any other ideas??

 

[Keara]

try giving them some roughage.... dandelion greens, spinach, grass something like that. My chicks love it when I pull up a dandelion plant roots and all and hang it into their cage. They go nuts pulling on it and chasing whoever gets the biggest piece.

 

[tiffanyg2]

Quote:
That sounds like a good idea!! Haha mine have stinky poo to~ can't wait to finish the coop

 

[suzeqf]

i've noticed that mine stink worse when they are about to take a growth spurt

 

[CowgirlPenny]

It is just such an aroma! I have been completely replacing their pine or aspen bedding every other day to try and combat it, no such luck yet. The room smells like nice fresh wood for about 20 minutes and then the poop smell is back. They don't spill water, or food so it's not that. It's their stinky poo! ugh. I need to go change it all out right now but feel like I I need my husband's gas mask first.

 

[Souffle]

Mine are about seven weeks also and I can't get over the amount of poop and the recent smell. I thought the clover outside might be to blame, but I think it's just the quantity of poop...and there are just four hens and a rooster who spend about eight hours outside daily! I'm a little concerned about the runtiness of some of their poop, but don't want to give them medicated feed. These are my first chickens and I'm hoping their digestion systems improve. I'll also give them a little yogurt to see if that helps. I really love having them!