Want to raise chickens but have heard they are "very messy and stinky"

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Purina Layena pellets. Thats all I can say. Makes the nicest chicken poop, ever!!!

 

[poultryhaven]

Quote:
I have been in his pens and there is no smell. Its odorless for the most part.

 

[rancher hicks]

Last year I drove 3 hours to purchase 5 Dels and the condition they were in was to say the least stinky. I drove home with the windows open front and back. The run was a mud hole of black muck. Shortly after I got them home and put them in pens of clean wood shavings and fresh clean food and water they had no smell at all. When my daughters come home and I catch one for them to hold they comment on how they don't smell.
Whether or not chickens smell is up to you. Dogs can smell, cats can smell , heck even Paraketes can smell.
With proper planning and housing you can have an enjoyable experience. Ask for suggestions and you should do fine. Also it depends on how much effort you are willing to put into having a dozen birds. There are pros and cons to everything. Heck ask anyone if you should get married and your sure to hear alot of different answers.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Stinky smell? I thought that was my son. He's 13

 

[teddiliza]

I doubt there's any pet owners who will lie and say their pet's poop doesn't stink! If you don't overcrowd your chicken coop, and shovel it out at least twice a year depending on how many chickens, you'll be fine. Make sure your chicken coop has good windows and ventilation and a good sized run. Maximum space per bird means less yucky mess. Mine have a large run area, so the poop gets spread out and the stink is only noticed when someone literally just pooped. I use pine shavings and make sure that it gets stirred often, add extra when needed, and if I start smelling ammonia, the whole coop gets shoveled out and dumped in the compost. I have shallow plastic tubs filled with pine shavings under their night roosts, which catch most of the yucky stuff when they're roosting at night, since they are usually outside during the day, then I can just empty the bins periodically instead of having to clean the entire coop as often. Word of advice. If you think you want a dozen chickens, start with 6, then work your way up to 12 once you know you can manage 6. They poop more than you'd think. But as far as being dirty? Only when it's really muddy or someone was hanging out under the roosts at the wrong moment. If you get a light colored chicken, you'll be able to see when they are dirty more often than if you get a dark colored one. Happy chickens spend time taking dust/sand baths to keep the bugs out of their feathers, and if not overcrowded can preen in peace, looking as beautiful as any shampoo model. My older chickens at the top of the pecking order are always looking pristine except for their feathered feet when it's muddy. If you don't have a cover on your feeder and waterer where they can't perch on it, yes, they will poop in it. This is why I have mine partially under a shelf under the nest boxes where no one can jump on it. I don't think Chickens smell any worse than a dog or a cat if they have the proper housing. And yes, some of my chickens are as affectionate as some of the dogs and cats I've owned. You just have to make sure you don't wear your church clothes to go pet your chickens, because if they decide to 'show their affection' it means them perching on you at some point, and they don't always watch where they step. For this reason I have a nice hooded 'smock' which works well for this. I look like a complete fashion nightmare, and I'm sure my neighbors think I'm a complete dork, but at least I don't have to change my entire outfit every time I visit the chickens. My favorite chicken 'Sprite', a Spitzhauben, decided that while I was bending over changing the waterer, she would use me as a ladder. She's always wanting to be held or to perch on me somewhere- hence the chicken smock with hat and hood. But I didn't realize how good my own flock's eggs were until I bought one of those gas station refrigerator breakfast sandwiches and nearly gagged. Chickens are also a lot more entertaining to watch in the yard than a dog or cat, but you couldn't let them snuggle on your furniture.

 

[Tala]

Let me put it this way. My chickens are a lot cleaner and less stinky than my husband, and yet for some reason I'm still married to him!

My chickens smell less than my neighbor's 2 dogs. The only time I notice a smell is after it rains, the dogs smell worse then too. Things just smell fresher when they are drier.

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
Have you checked his expireation date?

 

[LynneP]

Lots of ways to prevent this- a roofed run is the secret along with keeping them dry at all times-

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=7693-Coop_Hygiene

 

[elmo]

Dog poop is much nastier, in my opinion, than chicken poop. But as others have commented, if your husbandry practices stink, then so will your chickens.

 

[flockof4]

I just started my flock and I love having chickens. This message board has been so helpful for any kind of question or concern. Chickens are birds and birds love to preen. Your chickens will be clean and odor free if you provide them with the right things. I consider the poop to be of great value for my gardens and appreciate it as much as the eggs. Good luck.