[wildwitchy]

I think if anyone is that fussy regarding smells, just don't have animals because animals will poo & produce all kinds of smelly fluids regardless of how clean you are with them. And occasionally do it on you too. I'd rather have chicken poo on me than baby vomit anyday ta.

[compostqueen]

I wouldn't want them right close to my back door though!  I think if my garden was that small I wouldn't keep them. Like you say, wait until you move house and then make sure you get somewhere with a good sized garden

[Casey76]

The coop shouldn't smell of anything but the bedding if it is kept clean.  With 4 chickens you could easily poo pick every day to keep things sweet.

I use unscented aubiose as bedding, and all I can smell in the coop is the bedding   In the UK you can buy Hemcore which is impregnated with citronella, which I think would smell even better!

In the run, "normal" poos don't smell, but the "breakfast poo" i.e. the first one of the day when you let them out is usually a bit whifft.. like a smaller version of a broody poo, and cecal poos are definitely whiffy.  Unless there is something wrong with your chooks, all poos (except cecal) can be scooped with a cat litter scoop and a kiddie hand rake.  For cecal poos, you can water them into the ground.

Go on twist her arm a bit... you won't regret it 

[Dominic]

A dirty chicken coop will stink.
A clean chicekn coop will not.

A bit like everything else...

[stompy]

Our garden is aproximately 25'x25' grass and decking and then 30' x 6' down the side of the extention which is completely decked.
The coop would go on the decking down the side of the house and the run would extend onto the grass.

[compostqueen]

I move my hens round the garden to get fresh grazing and to give the lawn chance to regrow and to fill in the divots the girls make    If the lawn is too small it makes that difficult

[stompy]

Yeh, the lawn's only around 15' x 15'.
I think i'll be best leaving it until we move, for the welbeing of the hens. (and myself  )

[compostqueen]

At least it narrows down the criteria for your house search. Must be chook-friendly 

They are addictive and most folks do tend to increase their flock once they've got into the swing of things    We like to do the best for the birds and give them the best possible living conditions which makes them and us very happy    I have a large lawn which means they can keep moving to a fresh bit regularly. They've made some really deep craters which I refill with soil and maybe resow to keep my husband on side    Even so I have to poo pick their bit of grass daily and even twice in hot weather as flies descend, as you need to keep things clean 

[andreadon]

no, coops don't stink.

every day, there's a smelly poo from each hen.
(coecal)

at the end of each day, go around with a fire shovel and a stick and scoop up all the day's poos.
dump those on the compost and all will smell lovely again.

[ManicMum]

It's a question of picking up and cleaning out - chicken houses and runs are no worse than rabbit or guinea-pig hutches or hamster cages (yes, I've shared a bedroom with a hamster cage!)  Fish tanks stink if not cleaned out, as do bird cages.

Babies, teenagers, adults, dogs, cat litter trays - I could go on - all smell if their "personal hygiene" is not attended to.

[evie2]

Just been out to our big coop to have a sniff, nope not a bad smell, quite fresh considering it's in full sun

Can I just say I don't usually go round sniffing coops

[hillfooter]

I say! I say! I say!  My chickens have no noses?

[8doubles]

How do they smell ?....................FOWL !

[hillfooter]

How do they smell ?....................FOWL !

The old ones are always the best 8doubles
HF

[poohpouri]

like others have mentioned coop only smells if u let it, with the run poop pick twice a day and dig over or appile stalson f(it works)
only takes 5 mins to poop pick