5 Ways to Raise Chickens Without the Smell and Mess

The chicken business is known for its smell, both from the feed given to the chickens and from the droppings they produce. So it is no surprise that in densely populated areas, many people object to a chicken farm being set up. That is why the right place for a chicken business is far from residential areas, where its operations will not disturb the people living nearby.

Thanks to improved farming techniques, there are now several ways farmers can keep the smell on a chicken farm to a minimum. They make the coop smell less sharp. Here are some ways to raise chickens without smell and mess:

Clean Up Leftover Feed

The first thing a farmer who wants a smell-free coop can do is clean up leftover feed. If it is not cleared away promptly, leftover feed gives off a foul smell, and when it piles up, the coop and the whole farm site smell terrible. Farmers can clear leftover feed in the afternoon, after the broilers have received their ration. Put dividers inside the coop so that the leftover feed can be cleaned up as thoroughly as possible.

Soil Floor

Many farmers still make the mistake of building the farm on a cement floor. Yet a cement floor is not good for a chicken farm, because it makes cleaning up the droppings less thorough.

Rice Husk

If the coop is a raised type, farmers can put husk inside it. If the coop has a bare soil floor, do not forget to cover the soil with rice husk. Rice husk is very good at keeping the droppings in the coop from smelling too bad. If the smell inside the coop can be kept down, the surroundings will not smell the chicken droppings either. Replace the rice husk regularly, at most three times a day.

Probiotics

A way to raise chickens without smell and mess that many farmers do not yet know about is using probiotics. Probiotics are an effective way to keep the smell on a chicken farm to a minimum. Why does this work? Probiotics can prevent and treat various digestive problems in chickens, and those digestive problems are what make the droppings smell. Besides reducing the smell of droppings, probiotics help the chickens absorb more nutrients from their feed.

Read also: How to Raise Organic Broiler Chickens

Natural Herbal Mixes

To keep the smell of droppings down, farmers can use natural herbal mixes, which are cheap yet proven effective against farm odor. These mixes can also be used to treat digestive problems in chickens. Those digestive problems are what make the droppings smell. What is more, chickens with disturbed digestion produce wet, smelly droppings.

The Cost of a Smelly, Dirty Farm Environment

A farmer who cannot keep the farm environment in good shape can suffer many losses. A smelly, dirty environment is a sign that the farmer is not applying chicken farming techniques properly. The first loss is the growth of viruses and bacteria, because sanitation is not well maintained. This makes the chickens easy prey for disease. A smelly, dirty chicken farm will also bring complaints from the neighbors, especially if the farm is set up in a densely populated area.

Those are the ways to raise chickens without smell and mess. We hope this information is useful.