Try to till yor chicken's Run!!

[gjfarm]

Perfect timing. I just told my husband this morning to get the Mantis filled up with gas--it was time to rototil. The rake out stuff goes to the garden. My chicks are just about ready to go outside and wanted nice fresh soil for them.

 

[melissastraka]

Quote:

I had to read that to my DH who also laughed

 

[Omran]

thank you guys, they really loved it and the smell is gone.

 

[JennsPeeps]

OK so this thread inspired me and today I turned over the dirt in the run.

It.

Smells.

Bad.

So bad.

Terrible.

Nasty.

So bad that I apologized to the neighbors. He said, "Oh yeah... that does stink."

I'm certain it's my fault, too. Last winter I dumped litter in the run a couple of times. The drainage in the run was terrible and I was trying to help. I think I made it worse, plus the decomposing shavings stink to high heaven. Thanks goodness the weather here is supposed to be dry over the next few days so that the run can dry out and de-stinkify itself.

I'm so embarassed!

 

[crazyhen]

Before you rototil and while the chicks are shut up put in some lime. Till it in. It helps to decrease the cocci and smells much better. You must till it in or their feet will be burned by it. Jean

 

[Omran]

You don't have to be embaressed, it is mothers nature.
I live in the country so every where I smell cows manure

 

[JennsPeeps]

Oh we live in the city. And manure is not a common scent here. It's RIPE. DBF said it smells like a pig farm.

But that's some high quality dirt, lemme tell ya! Dark, loamy, rich. Such a waste to leave it in the run! I'm already considering putting it in my garden & putting sand in the run in its place.

 

[Leah-yes I know I'm crazy]

Quote:
I'm working on a rotation of using areas for run for a year and garden for a year. For me, it's easier to move the birds than to move the soil.

 

[chookchick]

Hey Jennspeeps, just tell them it is some of that high-falutin Cedar Grove Compost, it can't smell any worse than some of the batches I have had of that. Anyway--doesn't your neighbor have an obnoxious dog? What goes around comes around...

 

[JennsPeeps]

Good memory, chookchick! They have dogs that bark at all hours of the day & night. It's why I've stopped giving them eggs, to be honest.

I can't swap the coop/run & garden areas, sadly. My urban city lot is very small and sunlight is scarce. I have to put the coop on the side of the house - it's dead space anyway - and the veggie garden in the backyard. Oh well!