Welcome to Kayla’s Flock!

[HuffleClaw]

Oh yeah, something good did come out of today. I got my first Cream Legbar egg. It’s not blue for some reason... it’s like white. Weird.

 

[HuffleClaw]

Sooo... I need some help/advice.

I feel for my neighbors.

Short version: My coops smell terrible, and the smell is strong, even at the neighbors house.

Longer/More descriptive Version:
After a rain, my coops smell terrible for almost 2 weeks. They have roofs, and are well ventilated. Buuut, I live on a hill, and all the rain water rushes through the coops. That causes them to get wet and create a HORRID smell. It’s absolutely sickening. Even I hate the smell. I feel so bad for my neighbors. One coop in particular takes forever to dry out. It’s a smelly soured mush for weeks. It is soooo gross. One of the main reasons that I dread the rain. Of course, my neighbors have not complained yet... but I’m afraid they might. I know if I were them I probably would.

Any ideas on things that might help? Thanks guys.

 

[PioneerChicks]

Sooo... I need some help/advice.

I feel for my neighbors.

Short version: My coops smell terrible, and the smell is strong, even at the neighbors house.

Longer/More descriptive Version:
After a rain, my coops smell terrible for almost 2 weeks. They have roofs, and are well ventilated. Buuut, I live on a hill, and all the rain water rushes through the coops. That causes them to get wet and create a HORRID smell. It’s absolutely sickening. Even I hate the smell. I feel so bad for my neighbors. One coop in particular takes forever to dry out. It’s a smelly soured mush for weeks. It is soooo gross. One of the main reasons that I dread the rain. Of course, my neighbors have not complained yet... but I’m afraid they might. I know if I were them I probably would.

Any ideas on things that might help? Thanks guys.

Is it the coop in general or the run(s) around the coop? I don't really know what to tell you. If it is the runs, bark chips might help, and for the coop, maybe strong-smelling herbs?

 

[Ribh]

Sooo... I need some help/advice.

I feel for my neighbors.

Short version: My coops smell terrible, and the smell is strong, even at the neighbors house.

Longer/More descriptive Version:
After a rain, my coops smell terrible for almost 2 weeks. They have roofs, and are well ventilated. Buuut, I live on a hill, and all the rain water rushes through the coops. That causes them to get wet and create a HORRID smell. It’s absolutely sickening. Even I hate the smell. I feel so bad for my neighbors. One coop in particular takes forever to dry out. It’s a smelly soured mush for weeks. It is soooo gross. One of the main reasons that I dread the rain. Of course, my neighbors have not complained yet... but I’m afraid they might. I know if I were them I probably would.

Any ideas on things that might help? Thanks guys.

Do you have any drainage around your coop & in the run? Drainage that would help redirect the flow of water away from your coop would help. I'm not enough of an engineer to tell you exactly how to go about that . Inside the run you would need to dig down & lay down a layer of gravel covered by sand & then whatever you usually use in your run. Unless you can keep your coops drier nothing you do will really help. Here are some discussions on coop drainage:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/3161055/?q=coop+drainage&t=post&o=relevance

 

[rjohns39]

Good morning folks

Kayla, so sorry about your aunt Hay Hay is a gorgeous boy

To combat your smell, you need more carbon. Mulch, wood chips, or horse pellets might help

 

[HuffleClaw]

Is it the coop in general or the run(s) around the coop? I don't really know what to tell you. If it is the runs, bark chips might help, and for the coop, maybe strong-smelling herbs?

It’s everything. I have actually tried the bark chips... but again, hill. And the birds scratch them away. They do help for the day or two they’re there

 

[HuffleClaw]

Do you have any drainage around your coop & in the run? Drainage that would help redirect the flow of water away from your coop would help. I'm not enough of an engineer to tell you exactly how to go about that . Inside the run you would need to dig down & lay down a layer of gravel covered by sand & then whatever you usually use in your run. Unless you can keep your coops drier nothing you do will really help. Here are some discussions on coop drainage:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/3161055/?q=coop+drainage&t=post&o=relevance

I do not. But that’s probably a good idea. Thanks Ribh!

 

[HuffleClaw]

Mr. Hay Hay today. My aunt called, and I put her on speaker so he could hear her calling him a pretty boy He kept strutting and turning his head.

 

[PioneerChicks]

Mr. Hay Hay today. My aunt called, and I put her on speaker so he could hear her calling him a pretty boy He kept strutting and turning his head. View attachment 2489001

That's so sweet! You're lucky not to be the only chicken lover in your family! However, I am "brainwashing" a couple of the youngers in my family, and one is showing real progress as a chicken whisperer

 

[CHlCKEN]

Sooo... I need some help/advice.

I feel for my neighbors.

Short version: My coops smell terrible, and the smell is strong, even at the neighbors house.

Longer/More descriptive Version:
After a rain, my coops smell terrible for almost 2 weeks. They have roofs, and are well ventilated. Buuut, I live on a hill, and all the rain water rushes through the coops. That causes them to get wet and create a HORRID smell. It’s absolutely sickening. Even I hate the smell. I feel so bad for my neighbors. One coop in particular takes forever to dry out. It’s a smelly soured mush for weeks. It is soooo gross. One of the main reasons that I dread the rain. Of course, my neighbors have not complained yet... but I’m afraid they might. I know if I were them I probably would.

Any ideas on things that might help? Thanks guys.

That’s awful! I had the same thing happen to me. My coop is at the base of a hill so when it rained, water would go gushing into the run creating a huge mud pit and mess. It smelled. Luckily, we do a lot of digging and stuff so my dad owns a mini excavator. He dug a ditch right at the foot of the hill which traps all the water and leads it to a storm drain. I never have issues with the water anymore.