Troubleshooting bedding and smells

[Beaker99]

I have a 10x4 coop. I used to have it on the ground, filled with shaving and leaves. Bedding lasted three months with no issue.
We started having some issue with rain getting in so we put a floor on and elevated the coop.
Now my bedding stinks after just 3 weeks. What an I doing wrong? Ventilation did not change.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Is the bedding remaining dry with the floor in place? Stink is usually a combo of poop + extra moisture.

My guess is by taking the bedding off the ground, the microbes in the soil that were helping with composting down the poop are no longer there to work and help reduce odor.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Yep. Moisture + non porous surface = stank. My coop is raised and there is a run beneath on concrete. When it gets wet it stinks terribly. I have to scrape and shovel it off regularly

 

[David61]

Sweet PDZ can help but if its wet and stinky, change it before birds get sick.

 

[Beaker99]

Sweet PDZ can help but if its wet and stinky, change it before birds get sick.

I did it immediately after smelling it.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I've had good luck with biochar (charcoal) in the coop to help absorb extra nitrogen and reduce odors. You can make your own, or in a pinch lump charcoal should do the trick.

 

[Sally PB]

I have a raised coop. The floor is covered a sheet of 1/8" of styrene. I have a thick layer of pine shavings on it, and I use a poop board with sweet PDZ.

Unless someone has just dropped a cecal poop, or if I have the poop bucket open to scoop in the day's load, it doesn't smell.

 

[3KillerBs]

Here's my article on Deep Bedding, which includes some troubleshooting tips:

Using Deep Bedding in a Small Coop