Do chicken coops smell?

[ChickNanny13]

I live down in Florida and down here everything is hot all the time. I want to know if that will effect the smell of the coop. I don't want it stinking up the whole neighborhood!!

I live on the Big Island of Hawaii, we get alot of rain and alot of humidity. I'm only allowed 4 - 6 chickens (no Cockerels), live in a residential area and have no problem with any smell. My Chicken House is open, using shower curtain to keep the rain out, couldn't decide between sand & DLM until a member recommended DLM & having read up on it chose to go with pine shaving. I also learned/read about fermented feeding; nutritional benefits, no feed waste & the best firm poo that don't stink & alot less of it Also read about the 'poop board' under the roost with PDZ on BYC, way less cleaning so very easy.

 

[CiceroXY]

Scented with what?

Beech shavings.. I can't say precisely with what although, to me, they smell good I'd have to check the bag

 

[aart]

Beech shavings.. I can't say precisely with what although, to me, they smell good I'd have to check the bag

Most wood shavings smell good to me, pine or hardwood.....curious if they actually add some kind of scent/perfume/etc.

 

[chriseagan]

I use (DE) diatomaceous earth [food grade) dries up everything that would cause a stink .
I clean my Coop and run bi-weekly and I avoid the stereotype smells that are associated with chicken raising.
"A clean coop makes happy chickens and happy chickens make happy eggs"

 

[chriseagan]

Just a note on DE diatomaceous earth (food grade)
Don't breath too much or it can give a person a allergy type reaction .
But it's good for many things chicken based .

 

[aart]

Just a note on DE diatomaceous earth (food grade)
Don't breath too much or it can give a person a allergy type reaction .
But it's good for many things chicken based .

It's serious respiratory irritant, more a mechanical than an allergenic(chemical) reaction.
Affects chickens the same way, why many avoid it's use in coops, chickens scratch it up then breathe it in.

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

I use poop boards with PDZ---also sprinkle some PDZ with the pine shavings on the coop floor. I added some pine shavings to the poop boards too when we put them in a few weeks ago but I will eventually have only PDZ and perhaps some sand. The pine shavings were added because the chicks kinda freak with every new thing I put in there and I thought maybe some familiar pine shavings would help. As it was, they kept going in and out of the coop at bedtime (they usually go right in) that day looking like "OMG OMG THERE IS SOMETHING NEW IN THERE OMG!!!" They're fine with it now.
Painting the coop interior helps too, I think---we used exterior semi-gloss and it cleans up nicely. When I clean I spray with white vinegar and it melts any stuck on poop splats quickly and then I can wipe them off with paper towels. I imagine that if there is raw wood in a coop it could hold poop moisture and odor? The poop is mostly in the poop trays that we made and the PDZ dries it right up. White-capped Tootsie Rolls.
The run is dirt and trampled/dead grass. I sprinkle some PDZ in there too and rake up and turn over everything every few days. We've had some heavy rains and it drains really well so I think that might help.
No stink yet but this is a new coop and run so there may be stink in our future.
Inside our coop.

 

[aart]

As it was, they kept going in and out of the coop at bedtime (they usually go right in) that day looking like "OMG OMG THERE IS SOMETHING NEW IN THERE OMG!!!" They're fine with it now.

Hahaha!! I Know, Right!
It's as funny as it is frustrating, funnier after they all go to roost themselves without having to have a chicken rodeo.

Your setup looks great BTW, should work great with good ventilation and a reasonable flock size.

White-capped Tootsie Rolls.

When sifting everyday, I often think "Shake and Bake, and I Helped!" (Wonder who's old enough to remember that one?)

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

For drying things out and keeping stuff dry nothing beats good old barn lime, in use and in price ,in my opinion. Probably does what DE appears to do, but without the terror of it's use, or the killing of beneficial bugs.

 

[3riverschick]

Here's how I floored my my small coops (12-24 square feet )and I never had a problem with a wet floor.
first layer: enough diatomaceous earth so that you cannot see the grain of the wood underneath . Just a nice smooth coating of DE. a bit more along the edges where the walls meet the floor and in the corners.
second layer : a layer of sweet pdz same depth and Manner as the layer of DE. just enough so you can't see the DE. little more along where the walls meet the floor and in the corners.
third layer: 3 to 4 inches of kiln-dried Pine shavings the white Bale from Tractor Supply. the DE kills bugs that climb to the bottom of the coop. the Sweet PDZ keeps odors down and helps keep the floor dry. the three to four inches of wood shavings assured that the birds are comfortable and it's deep enough they may mess around but it stays nice.