Unsecure chicken perches

[SueChick]

Just discovered that even though I have sprinkled ground sanitiser and diatom around my new run, it keeps getting a bit smelly.

 

How often do people with concrete floors/slabs add sanitiser? And would garlic powder help with smell? If so, how much and often do I give it to them? I have a tub but not too sure how to administer it to them?

 

Would be grateful for a little advice please?

[Egluntyne]

I give it a good clear out every couple of weeks. I used to leave it for 6, with a deep layer of bedding. I now leave it for 2 or maybe 3 with a shallow layer. Consequently it isn't anything like as whiffy. It is too much like hard work, shifting 6 weeks worth of poo and bedding.

[The Dogmother]

Is your run covered? It needs to have a clear waterproof cover over it.

 

If the litter gets damp then that could be your problem.

[SueChick]

Yes it is covered and has guttering and is therefore lovely and dry.

 

I was hoping not to have to clear it out too often but maybe I should think about doing less bedding and clearing more regularly however, this lot of aubiose has only been down for 2-3 weeks so I wouldn't have though it was that bad really.

 

Do people actually find the garlic powder effective at dealing with smelly poos?

[Olly]

In my experience garlic powder doesn't remove the smell, but it makes it less acidic and somehow less strong. I used to use it regularly but haven't bothered so much lately. I have to say that (as long as it's not overwhelming) I have grown to quite like the smell of chicken poop ...

[LolaLayla]

I have grown to quite like the smell of chicken poop ...

Yes it does have a certain je ne sais quoi

[The Dogmother]

Adding Bokashi Bran to the feed tends to make their poo smell less.

[clucker1]

Yeap, mine go mad for bokashi bran. They will scoff the smallest amount off the floor as some mega treat in their books. Also, live yogurt helps....does the same thing as bokashi bran, look out for the yogurt as it goes flying across their beaks when you give it to them.

[kissinuk]

The smell will be the poop rotting in your bedding, especially when damp. I now clean my run (slabs) weekly and put straw down. No smelly problem anymore, apart from if it rains hard and there's been little free ranging. I used to find aubiose much smellier than straw.

 

I buy big bales of straw from Welland Valley Feeds and they only cost £2.50 so economical enough to change weekly.

[The Dogmother]

Mine have Aubiose in the run, it's not deep, just a couple of inches. I sprinkle it with ground sanitising powder every week and rake it about, the run is cleaned out every 4-6 weeks or so. It never smells much at all; the Aubiose dries the poos out and they just disappear

[SueChick]

That is the same set up as I have - aubiose few inches deep and ground sanitiser plus diatom. It is definitely the poop because although I have found it does break down and disappear, when I did remove a couple of dustpan's worth and smelt it (sorry, disgusting I know!) it was the same smell that the run is giving off. So I think I'll try the bran and garlic and see if that helps and also do a bit more poo picking whenever I have time. See if that helps because I don't really want to be clearing it out so often.

[The Dogmother]

It could possibly be down to the depth of the Aubiose; mine is very shallow, perhaps just 2 inches at the most.

[Heidi-Hi]

I feed my chickens Garvo. Since swapping over from their original food, their poo has halved in quantity, and I can hardly smell it. Anyone else find this?

[The Dogmother]

Yes, there have been various threads about it; if you feed good quality feed with less fillers then you get less coming out t'other end... much the same as with dogs.