How to Keep Your Chicken Coop Smelling Fresh
No one likes a stinky coop, especially the chickens. So, how do you keep your chicken coop smelling fresh?
The number one complaint I hear from people is that chickens stink. Chickens shouldn’t stink. If they do, they become easy prey for a predator. So, to protect themselves and the flock, chickens will clean and preen their feathers. If you provide a dust bath area, this will aid in the grooming process.
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To Keep the Coop and Run Smelling Fresh, It’s Important to Keep it Clean
Last summer, our girls started sleeping on the roost bars outside in the run. Because it was so hot, I let them. Our roost bars are at different heights, so the lower roosts get covered in poop. Chickens like to roost at the highest spot possible to avoid predators.
Every 3-4 days I scrape off any noticeable poop and put it in the compost bin. I also turn the bedding at this time with a pitchfork or rake. This stirs it up and keeps the smell to a minimum.
Every three to four weeks, I scrub down the roost bars with a vinegar and water solution (1:1) then hose it off. Some people will use bleach, but I like the more natural remedy and I don’t worry that it’s harmful to the chickens.
For the hen house, I check the nest box every time I collect eggs. If soiled, I’ll throw that in the run under the roost bars and add new pine shavings. I use to completely clean out the hen house once a month but now I do it twice a year unless I see a problem.
Bi-weekly, I’ll sprinkle the baseboards of the henhouse with food-grade DE, which helps keep any bugs to a minimum. Diatomaceous Earth is all natural and made from diatoms, remains of aquatic plant fossils. It works by cutting the exoskeleton of the bugs.
Monthly, I use First Saturday Lime in the run (on the first Saturday of the month). It neutralizes ammonia odors and controls dampness plus if your chickens ingest it, it gives them a boost in calcium. Barn lime is a great insect repellent but it’s caustic and can be harmful to yourself and animals. First Saturday Lime is specially formulated and safe to use.
You Have to Manage the Poop to Keep your Chicken Coop Smelling Fresh
Chicken poop contains uric acid which gives it the ammonia smell. When the poop is starting to break down, if you don’t have enough organic material (litter), it will stink.
Once a week, I rake the bedding and if needed, I use a doggie pooper scooper or shovel to remove any noticeable poop or soiled bedding and put it in the compost bin.
Some people use a poop board under the roost bars for easy clean-up. I’ve considered this but so far with six chickens, it hasn’t been too hard to maintain.
Because we’ve had several complaints about our chickens, I’ve been pretty adamant about keeping things clean. Animal control services have been out to our house three times in the last year. Of course, we are in compliance and there have been no issues found.
So, because someone in our neighborhood is unhappy about our chickens, I’ve been a little OCD about keeping the chicken coop and run smelling fresh.
Now Chicken Poop Stinks! and Wet Chicken Poop is Even Worse!
To keep the smell down, I rake the bedding in the run weekly and always after it rains. Raking stirs up the poop and bedding, aiding in drying out and composting. I also sprinkle scratch around and let the girls help me out! They love it.
Sweet PDZ is a stall refresher and another great product I’ve used in the past any time there is an ammonia smell and especially after it rains. It neutralizes the ammonia which can damage your chickens’ airways plus keeps the chicken coop smelling fresh.
How Do You Keep the Coop Smelling Fresh?
Some people will use the deep litter method in their coop. But I haven’t been successful, maybe because we don’t have a traditional coop. Being in Texas, it rarely gets below 30 degrees Fahrenheit and I can’t remember the last time it was in the teens. Plus it’s so humid here.
With a traditional coop, a lot of people use linoleum flooring and then cover it with pine shavings. When it’s time to do a deep clean, you can just sweep out and mop. Very easy! If we had a traditional coop, I would do this.
The Bearded Rooster built a hen house for our girls because we knew early on they would free range most of the day.
A hen house is generally big enough to sleep in and possibly lay eggs but that’s about it. Ours sits up off the ground, giving them more floor space in the run.
There are several different materials you can use as bedding, but pine shavings are the most popular and work great. They absorb moisture well and chicken poop is 60% moisture.
I also add some fresh lavender to the nest box. In addition to the pleasant aroma, it has a calming effect on the chickens. Some people will hang different fresh or dried herbs up in the coop. Rosemary, lavender, oregano, sage, thyme, and mint are good options.
A Stinky Coop Will Attract Flies
Not only are flies annoying, but they can become a health issue for your chickens and any other animals you have. Hazel had Flystrike, which is where the flies lay eggs in a wound or in poop stuck on your chicken. Once the egg hatches, it turns into maggots that feed on your chicken’s skin. This can be deadly!
Some people swear by DE to control flies. I use it in the nest boxes and dust baths for lice and mites, but I haven’t really seen a difference with the flies. Maybe I’m not using enough.
I recently saw a post in my chicken group about using the Vanilla trees air freshener in the run to deter flies. You have to use the vanilla flavor. Apparently, the flies don’t like the scent.
So now the run smells great and within the first few days, I noticed a huge difference. I purchased a three-pack at the dollar store. Win-Win.
Our FFA student that helps with the chickens when we are out of town, recommended Permethrin. They use it in the school barn. When Hazel got Flystrike, I tried it. After the deep clean, I spray it on the roost bars, the bedding under the roost bars, and the fence behind. I rarely see a fly in the coop area, but I still hang fly traps and the vanilla trees for good measure. Permethrin can be toxic to cats and bees so do some research before using it.
If your coop is close to your neighbor’s property, you will want to be vigilant about cleaning, so it doesn’t become a problem. I’ve heard horror stories about what some people will do to the chickens.
Having a fresh-smelling clean coop is not only pleasant for you but also for your chickens. A happy, healthy chicken will lay lots of eggs!
