the smell!?! Any tips? Give them a bath?

[mshirk]

I'm using coarse sand in my brooder, and scrape off the top layer once a week. I do have branches in there as roosts, and one of them started to smell a bit after 2.5 weeks, so I threw it back outside and grabbed another downed branch. Besides that, there is no smell. I have 3 chicks in a Rubbermaid storage tub. I suspect the sand helps, as within 10 minutes the poo seems to be shrivelled up into a tiny bit in the sand, compared to the poo on newspaper which seems to spread and stink.

 

[BooBear]

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Ummmmm, won't the high silica content hurt the chickies? Or me?!

I use food grade as it is safe to use with them.

Noticed that the chickies favorite treat corn does make their poo smell stronger. Like feeding a toddler broccoli.
I give mine treats sparingly at first (I spoil my chickies) and allows give them a frisbee full of sand to play in. It is so cute watching them dust bathe.

 

[greytmommy]

Can I get food grade DE at the farmers store? Or do I have to go somewhere special and get it?

 

[Wildflower_VA]

I didn't have time to read all the posts, so this might have already been mentioned. Have you researched vent gleet? This is a yeast infection and will cause the chickens to smell.

I have a super sensitive nose, and with five week old chicks, I have only completely changed my aspen wood shavings once. I started out with about an inch of shavings and added to it every couple of days for two weeks. Then I increased the size of the brooder by double and started fresh three weeks ago. Since then I have only added fresh shavings on top of soiled. I am putting them outside today, or they would be ready for another complete change. The most smell I have had is a musty, woodsy smell and the chicks don't smell at all.

I did start my chicks right out with a sand box and at two weeks I started adding organic apple cider vinegar (Bragg's or Eden) to their water and their feed has prebiotics and probiotics in it. What you are describing is way beyond what a baby chick should smell like, unless it is covered in poop.

 

[BooBear]

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I bought mine online from Perimex (sorry if misspelled). Randall Burkley also carries it.