Chicken Smell

[Prisma]

How to rid of? Looking for ideas, dad insists there is no way to get rid of it, but I think otherwise. I can't go near the coop without being unable to breath (allergic to feathers, the smell itself is not that bad). But in order to have some work done, the smell of them must go....

 

[Zass]

The easiest way I know of to reduce odors is to increase space.
The more confined they are the stinkier they get.

Keeping their enclosure very clean and quickly removing waste can help. A good example would be a bin under the perches that can be easily accessed for frequent cleaning.

Maybe also making sure they have access to a good dust bath. Mine always loved to roll in a mixture of wood ashes, soil and DE

 

[Prisma]

They have a 20x10 open air pen connected to a 15x20 coop, there's 10 banties in it. So space isn't an issue lol. There's nothing in the run, just bare dirt. I'll have to try adding a box of loose DE and ashes. There's no loose for them to actually roll in. I'm also wondering if its not just the people (being they are city workers) and not used to a farm atmosphere. Would putting in a vet air mister be an issue? I was on the eh side considering birds don't do well with scent burners/candles even. I have one with the rabbits with mint in it (keeps some of the critters at bay). They are the ones that are like the Glade puffers on timers.

 

[FourRingCircus]

Is it a really moist area? I don't have huge amounts of smell with mine unless there has been a lot of rain - especially the old coop location that would get flooded (just moved them to a new coop/area last night).

 

[skysthelimit]

i used a mix of DE and sand, and in a small coop it really kept the smell down.

 

[Prisma]

Is it a really moist area? I don't have huge amounts of smell with mine unless there has been a lot of rain - especially the old coop location that would get flooded (just moved them to a new coop/area last night).

Pretty dry actually, it's dryer than the barn I use for the rabbits. That's what didn't make any sense to me. Going to add the DE, sand, and see if I can convince him to do a complete floor dig out and build back up to see if that'll help. I don't notice any smell unless the wind blows or really close, then it just smells like a chicken pile to me *shrugs* maybe I'm nose blind.

 

[FourRingCircus]

Is it a really moist area? I don't have huge amounts of smell with mine unless there has been a lot of rain - especially the old coop location that would get flooded (just moved them to a new coop/area last night).

Pretty dry actually, it's dryer than the barn I use for the rabbits. That's what didn't make any sense to me. Going to add the DE, sand, and see if I can convince him to do a complete floor dig out and build back up to see if that'll help. I don't notice any smell unless the wind blows or really close, then it just smells like a chicken pile to me *shrugs* maybe I'm nose blind.

I wouldn't say "nose blind" (love the term! :lol: ), but others are probably more sensitive to it. We have friends that come over occasionally and the wife is a recovering germaphobe (seriously. it was so bad she was on medication for it. when her son was little if he stepped in dog poop or something icky she would just throw the shoes away!) and is not a fan of our yard. It's funny to see her dodging the chicken "mines" toward the back asking what the smell is. We have people move from the city out to the country and then complain about the smells (although, moving near a commercial chicken house was probably not the best plan :roll: those things reek to high heaven). We get whiffs of the cows every now and then, but it's not terrible. The chickens are only stinky if you step in one of the really nasty poop piles or if the weather is too wet. The rabbits have an odor, but it's not gross IMO. Not quite earthy, but not poop. Just... rabbit. <br /><br /> __________ Fri Mar 04, 2016 9:04 am __________ <br /><br /> Will the workers seriously not come and do anything because of the smell?? How odd. I can't see that many bantams in that large of an area being all that bad.

 

[Schipperkesue]

Is the smell manure or ammonia? Both can be eliminated by regular litter changes, but I have deep litter in order to avoid this. Anything acidic will neutralize the ammonia odor. I use vinegar in dry situations and peat moss in moist areas.

 

[Prisma]

They said just chicken smell, I don't get it. I'm highly allergic, can't go within touching distance or the feathers set me off. If it was the dander I'd be in deep trouble, but not so much so. I just avoid the area like the plague, when I sniffed I was literally down at the back door which is my "close" (chicken coop is a good 20 feet up and slightly to the left).

They won't until its changed. I can't tell any difference with a dig out, fresh wood chips, a dusting pit of DE and some kinda white powder (dunno what it is but dad said they guy at feed store highly recommended for getting rid of "chicken smell" for them to bath in). May have to in list neighbor or his brother since I can't physically go into the coop.