The Smell...THE SMELL!!

[off-grid hen]

I change the shavings out once a month- but really it's when it starts to stink even after I've fluffed it up every day and that doesn't work anymore. I don't wait til the smell is terrible, just a little worse than "noticable". I think I'm going to see a serious difference now that a droppings board has been installed. I can't believe how much I've collected - just from 2 nights of droppings. I use one brick/bag of shavings per cleanout. I have 15 hens and one rooster, in a 8 x 16 coop.

 

[boogiedog]

For me (deep litter method) in the summer I can go 6-7 weeks without cleaning; in the winter when it is wet I plan on every 3-4 weeks. Yes, the pine shavings get expensive but I really want to keep smell down and keep wet out. (I put linoleum on the floor of my coop which makes cleaning easy, and thorough)

 

[lorain's fids]

Quote:
Nope--I think I beat you on that one--I have 6 chickens and I clean out the coop and pick up in their run every day-twice a day. LOL!!!
I don't think I could let the poop sit there longer than 1 day. I use pine shavings and sand, so every morning and evening I go in there and either use a cat litter scooper or just put on a disposable glove and pick up the poop. Same thing in the run- it takes only about 5 to 10 minutes-, I also wipe off the roosts if there's poop on them too.Then every 3 weeks I change the pine shavings.

 

[onthespot]

Some people say the brand you feed makes a difference. I have heard people say that Dumore (sp) brand makes for smelly chicken manure.

 

[ParadiseChickens]

And I do use Dumor brand layer feed. The only other choice I have found in this area is Purina and I thought I didnt want that because there is no meat in it. Is that right?

 

[Vandriver]

Does anyone know if using lime in a coop/run will hurt the chickens? I know it will control the smell but I don't want to hurt the flock either. Thanks

 

[PremisesMC]

Twice a year!!!!! Really? if i did that my coop would be knee deep in Poo!!!!! or are you talking about some other sort of cleaning?

 

[darin367]

nobody else use straw hay........ i buy a bale of hay, put 6 inches or so in the coop,,, put it in the egg boxes..... change it out every 2-3 months.... i buy a bale of hay every 6 months or so....... way cheap............

 

[kgardner19]

We have been changing it out weekly-I guess we have been doing it too often then lol

 

[Mattemma]

Yeah I would use the sweet stuff. I got a free bag from the feed store.Check yours to see if the company still gives away small bags. Best time is when I put in fresh shavings,but that is lost after one night of droppings. I spot clean.