chooks, -smelly or sweet?

[thewoodle]

I've always wanted to keep hens and now we are buying a house I've been reading up a bit. Someone on here wrote that they shouls be kept as far away from the house as possible because they smell, but I've read that if only the pen gets cleaned regularly they won't. What do you all think?

[thewoodle]

[teresa]

Like all animals if cleaned on a routine basic they are fine. My neighbroughs dont smell my hens but they know when I have cleaned them out with jeyes fluid that drifts across the gardens ;D.

[Lost in France]

I love the smell of my hens! How sad is that?!! I clean them at least once a week and sometimes twice if they need it. A friend said when I first got my henhouse "Enjoy it looking like that as it won't for long!" Well that was years ago and it does still look like new and because it's cleaned regularly the inside is fine as well. The inside is just bare wood and the outside is treated with an annual coat of Sadolin, (expensive but good protection and looks smart too!)

I did used to use some gorgeous smelling organic red mite powder from Small Holders and that made it smell fabulous...I'd have slept in it myself!!

I'd be interested to know whether I am really strange or do others love the smell of their hens?!!

Judi

[DadnDom]

I like the smell of my hens too :)
They are currntly living in an old transit van lol When we bought them we were still waiting for their coups and now I have been waiting for the weekend to paint their coups as I know I am going to get covered in paint painting them, so hopefully by the beginning of next week they should be moving house :)

[teresa]

The smell of fresh woodshavings with jeyes fluid ( for washing house out).
and I use a powder for pidgon lofts it prevents fungus etc but smells like pot-pourie heavenly.
My house is painted in creasote it is ment to prevent red mite but I do have some roses alongside.

[Rosyred]

With all the rain the hens free range area started to smell, straw, mud and poo didn't go together and the worse mistake I made was I put it in my compost bin and boy it did humm. My next door neighbour said our hens don't smell and did wonder what the stink was coming from the compost bin, never again.

[wildthing]

I use Hemcore horse bedding in the chook house. Initially it seems expensive, but it does mean I don't have to completely change the litter as often as I did with shavings. It keeps the floor dry, and dries out the droppings. It also smells of citronella which keeps the flies away. The dried droppings can be easily lifted out and added to the compost bin. Still no pong. It takes me 5 minutes a day to lift out any solids, which I do when I collect the eggs. Once a month I completely change the Hemcore, and mix it with  grass cuttings in the compost bins. The mixture rots down very quickly to a rich dark compost. At the moment it is 2 months since I changed it because I broke a finger and 2 bones in my hand. However, I still manged a quick scoop out every day, and a top up with fresh litter as needed, and there is still no problem with smell.
I have 9 hens and a rooster. The house did niff a bit when I used wood shavings.

[Rosyred]

How much do you pay for hemcore out of interest?

[wildthing]

I think it was about £8.50 or thereabouts for a bale. I'm not certain because I bought 3 sacks of layers pellets and 1 of mixed corn too.
There was about £8.50 difference between the last bill and this one. Auboise is similar and cheaper, but hasn't got deodoriser in it. I pay the extra to keep my neighbours from complaining about smell or flies. I'm always surprised they haven't complained about the rooster, but I do keep him shut in until 8 am.  My neighbour seems to actually like him. Wonders will never cease. He complains about everything else.

[istanley24]

Where did you get that from?

[OliveOil]

chandlers or any ag shop will stock it.

[Rosyred]

I'm trying that hemcore to see how it goes more expensive (than what I use at the mo) but could be worth it we'll see.

[fluffygrue]

I use Aubiose which is pretty similar to Hemcore, and it does seem to absorb the smell a bit. They smell pleasantly chickeny, but nothing too strong or offensive.. could always grow some sweet peas or lavender near them, anyway.