jomo1972 Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Can anybody help with this? I have a fixed coop with 12 former battery farm hens. Its quite a large coop and I do let them out into the rest of the garden sometimes. The coop is quite muddy as well which i think may be a contributary factor. Problem is that the smell is becoming noticeable and one of the neighbours have mentioned. I have dug it over and that has improved it but it doesn't deal with the long term issue. I took the plans for the coop off the internet but i think the real problem is that there is no system for disposal of waste. I have thought of concreting the floor but wouldn't that create a situation where they couldn't scratch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Try adding garlic granules to their food. It stops a lot of the smell, also use hemcore or aubiose in the run, poo just disappears!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomo1972 Posted April 13, 2008 Author Share Posted April 13, 2008 ... I think the problem is that the waste is already deeply into the ground and whatever I do, I can't seem to get rid of it. Should I concrete is over and cover it in saw dust maybe? Problem is that its a coop thats about 10ft by 12 ft. I did put straw down but it just disappeared into the ground and got covered in mud and waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I would remove any surface debris first if you can then put garden lime down which helps neutralise the ground and there's a product called stalisan which removes smell and some worm/bug eggs too. If you put this down and put the hemcore/aubiose on top you should be ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Think about covering the entire roof area so rain cannot turn the soil to mud during wet weather.Corrugated plastic sheeting can be bought cheeply off the net or try builders yards etc.Once the soil dries out-you can use Hemcore like already suggested & it wont get sucked into the mud and rot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenlass Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 My run is on concrete slabs with Hemcore [or similar] on the top. I would think if you do as has been suggested and neutralise the area with lime and then put slabs or something down with Hemcore/Aubious on top you wouldn't go far wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomo1972 Posted April 13, 2008 Author Share Posted April 13, 2008 that not stop the hens scratching? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 All the above advice is very sound . I'd dig up what you can, sprinkle garden lime around and possibly Stalosan F too, then put hemcore or aubiose down. Chickens LOVE to scratch about in it . Give them garlic powder in their food and you could consider bokashi bran to firm up their poos (if squitty poos are part of the problem!). I sprinkle citronella in my girls poo tray - I've only got 3 hens but you could still try it with 12 . There's no smell at all in my run or eglu - even if the poo tray's not emptied for a week . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol U Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I think the idea of putting slabs down, then hemcore or aubiose is sound. However, the important thing is to cover the run to keep the rain out. Then you just need to rake out the hemcore/aubiose every few weeks (it makes wonderful compost) and replace it with fresh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I have my two chooks on block paving covered by a thick layer of easybed. This is only temporary but when we move them they will be in a run on slabs. As long as you make the layer of hemcore/aubiose/easybed thick enough, they will find plenty to scratch around in. And it will absorb the poos better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Some good advice there. My run doesn't smell since I have had a roof on it. The aubiose absorbs and seems to dry out and shrink the poo. The only time my run smells now is when they all come out of the henhouse in the morning and have their first syncronised dump of the day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Dig some garden lime into the waste...that should help with pongs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomo1972 Posted April 13, 2008 Author Share Posted April 13, 2008 Where do I get all these products? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Where do I get all these products? Lime can be bought from any garden centre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I use Stalosan in my run under hemcore. Its a powder that nutralises the soil and is widely used for all livestock and is harmless to animals and humans. You can buy it online. It also helps prevent disease, so with your amount of hens it might help. I use it on the base of my run on top the soil, I then cover the soil with a good layer of hemcore - you could use aubiose, easybed or similar. These types of bedding are very good in the run as they are absorbent and especially with hemcore it has citronella impregnated in it which smells lovely when you have put down a fresh bale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraJ Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I don't have any smells yet either. i have a wooden coop and run. the run is bare earth sprinkled with Stalosan (ebay or google it) then Aubiose (horse bedding on top. the run has corrugated plastic (b&q) on top which stops the Aubiose getting too wet. The uncovered area has wood chip. I got rid of my wood chip which has been down 5 weeks in 5 mins on freecycle and my neighbour takes the poo and some Aubiose. otherwise you can compost it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirkwood Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 yes use something on the floor and garlic powder and then i s"Ooops, word censored!" it out and put it on the garden as weed control Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraJ Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Oh and i use garlic powder and brokashi bran and no smelly poos well only the korma ones! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph101 Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Garlic powder and Bokashi bran in their feed helps with the smell. I add the Bokashi to the roosting bars and litter area too, along with the Diatom Earth, Method Eco friendly disinfectant (lavender smell) and Red Mite powder. I also spray Citronella around occasionally too. I also add Garden Lime and Stalosan to the lawn. Garlic Powder, Diatom Earth and Bokashi Bran - available online at Omlet shop. Garden Lime - from B & Q Citronella - Boots the Chemist Method Disinfectant - Waitrose Stalosan F - Alpha Hatch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Stalosan F - Alpha Hatch Thanks for that tip, Steph . It's £2 cheaper than Ascotts, which I was dithering about ordering from . Order placed . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraJ Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 citronella? is that something you buy and then dilute? would this do? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Garden-Bug-Repellent-Spray-Citronella-Essential-Oil_W0QQitemZ360039892941QQihZ023QQcategoryZ75582QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I've got a tiny bottle of citronella (essential oil, I think?) I sprinkle a few drops into the poo tray after cleaning it. I got it from a local chemist. That Ebay spray is pretty cheap so there'd be no harm trying it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheik Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 I have a mesh floor on my run to stop them scratching in the earth underneath. They have a thick layer of aubiose on top which they can have a good scratch in. /\dam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
