baberella Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Am getting a little worried, have only had chickens for a day and they smell!!!! Every time i walk past i get a whiff!!!! I cant get the poo out of the run so i need to rake it so obviously need to put something down to rake it out!!!! Need to do that at weekend!! Do chickens always smell this bad?? People said before i got them they do but i said oh it wont be that bad!! I need some smell absorbing magic!! Do people put something down into the slide out tray so easier to clean out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roobaloo Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Last night was the first time I noticed a smell....Suki had been sat on my shoulder before she went to bed...and I kept getting a whiff of chicken from my clothes... ...though, I then realised I forgot to clean the eglu The day before...so went back out and the eglu did pong!! I cleaned it out and will be disinfecting it tomorrow morning!!! I also feed mine garlic powder...I was told this helps with the smell of the poo...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baberella Posted April 16, 2010 Author Share Posted April 16, 2010 do you clean the slide out tray every day? Do you clean out the run everyday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Where did you get your chooks from? I've heard exbatts can whiff a lot as a result of where they were kept, but that the smell disappears over time. But otherwise, they shouldn't smell like that - although they do produce the odd real stinker of a poo, and they might be a bit upset stomach wise after the move. Garlic in the food will certainly help reduce smell, but even without they don't smell that much. We clean the Eglu once a week - and don't often clean out the poo tray any more than that. The run has Hemcore in, that that is swapped around every 6 weeks or so, and tbh, we do very little poo picking - although do rake it over and sprinkle stallosan F down once a week / fortnight. Oh, and we have 2 chooks, as the number will probably make a difference! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsquid Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Mine have never smelled of anything. I put Hemcore (about 4 inches deep) in the run, and this absorbs all the poo and keeps it smeling sweet. This is on a bed of soil, but I cover this with Stalosan F to deal with parasites and worms. I don't poo pick the run as they do a lot of FR anyway, and the poo just seems to disappear with Hemcore. Also line the poo trays and nest box with Hemcore. This dries the poo and allows you to poo pick every day with ease. I also put Poultry Spice and Bokashi Bran in their pellets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roobaloo Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 I empty the tray every two to three days, depending on how messy they've been....I take the eglu apart and wipe it down every week. We don't have an eglu run, we have a converted rabbit run with a fold up lid so we can poo pick once a week (as normally they've buried all the poo!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Here are a few threads on similar problems. It is totally solvable so don't despair . http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=57550&p=859383&hilit=stinky#p859383 http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=49745&hilit=stinky&start=0 http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=47390&p=710786&hilit=stinky#p710786 http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=47020&p=705824&hilit=stinky#p705824 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baberella Posted April 16, 2010 Author Share Posted April 16, 2010 i think it is just one of them, there is quite a bit of runny orangey brown poo how does everyone cover their runs if they have bedding down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Corrugated plastic sheets from B&Q or Wickes . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlo Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 i think it is just one of them, there is quite a bit of runny orangey brown poo how does everyone cover their runs if they have bedding down? Shower curtains on mine. The orangey poos are particularly whiffy. Mine save those for when I first let them out on a free range and they follow me up to the patio and deposit a little pressie for me!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baberella Posted April 16, 2010 Author Share Posted April 16, 2010 Thank you so much for replys, i do love this place!!! Corrugated plastic does look good, will do this me thinks!!!! I dont think they are really that bad, must just be the orange ones!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gelbel Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 i think it is just one of them, there is quite a bit of runny orangey brown poo how does everyone cover their runs if they have bedding down? Hi Baberella - it's best to have a cover if you have bedding - to stop it going horrible in rain. It's been lovely recently but in the wet/windy autumn/winter we were all debating the best ways to keep our covers in place to stop a soggy pooey mess. Dunelm Mill sell clear fabric by the metre and I also found B&Q do heavy duty plastic sheeting (stronger than sh6wer curtains which my Ikea no longer stock). You can get clear tarpaulines - they are cheap enough on line - that's what I got for my WIR. The orangey brown poo (I assume you also mean it is runny) is known as a 'curry poo' and I think they are meant to be about every one in ten poos. I've only had my new girls just over 2 weeks and Madge was curry pooing for England when they first arrived - so much so I was a tad worried. She did settle down after a few days. The horsey bedding stuff really helps get rid of curry poos - it sort of vapourises them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Same here - but the smell is from our bark - i dont know what the prob is with it. I have gone round with citronella sparay and cleaned Eglu which amazed friend who has chucks in wooden house - esp after 2 days.I am gonna try and get auboise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie50 Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 to ANH ~ what is that around bottom of your run please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 It's old rotary clothes drier covers split in half lengthways . That's not much use to you unless you happen to have a couple knocking about somewhere though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie50 Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 Thanks.........will see what I have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 Showed OH AHN's corrugated roof before I him to dispatched to B&Q and we fitted it this am. Have left omlet sun shade and a black bag underneath for shade. If gets bad I will put sun brolley over Eglu. I mean this is the UK - when did we last get real sun OH very impressed with forum and ANH's eglu. Bit worrying he could spend longer than me on it. He doesnt know my alias but wouldnt take him long to work it out as girls names are at the bottom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debby Tutton Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 They're probably just testing you. In chookie speak they're saying "We'll show her who's boss, we can make her rush about worrying he he he" Give it a day or so and they''ll be fine, if not then use garlic. I swear by it - for them and me ... not that I smell or do weird poos Mmmm ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlettohara Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 I'm thinking of trying this for my cube http://www.cotswoldchickens.com/coop-covers-440-p.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie50 Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 Might be a silly question but here goes....I am about to buy the plastic corrugated sheeting to make a cover for the run but just occured to me that this will cover against rain but will it not bake the chickens on a hot and sunny day! What do others do please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 I remove mine on warm days or decrease it to one sheet right on top of the run so the sides are completely free If you leave it on then fix shades over it not under it as a shade over will stop the plastic getting so hot and the shade under will be hot from the sun going through the plastic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 Showed OH AHN's corrugated roof before I him to dispatched to B&Q and we fitted it this am. Have left omlet sun shade and a black bag underneath for shade. If gets bad I will put sun brolley over Eglu. I mean this is the UK - when did we last get real sun OH very impressed with forum and ANH's eglu. Bit worrying he could spend longer than me on it. He doesnt know my alias but wouldnt take him long to work it out as girls names are at the bottom I love your hen's names- very Old Testament! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 Thanks they are all bad girls our plastic cover has a bit over at the front which my OH calls an awning! All they need is hanging basket and 2 stone lions and it would be a des res. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 Ah, but Bathsheba had to go to King David when he commanded her to, or else she'd have been put to death so I don't think that she was bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 No my friend another hen mum pointed that out to me - but my Bathsheba is a bad girl - all red feathers and attitude. Also loved the name from Thomas Hardys "far from the madding crowd" - Bathsheba Everdene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
