Chickens are FOWL not FOUL !!
Backyard chickens have been unfairly associated with a foul odor, perpetuating a myth that needs to be debunked. The truth is chickens themselves do not emit any unpleasant scent. The issue lies in the improper maintenance of their waste. Many people base their opinion on the smell of chickens from farms or commercial poultry operations, where countless chickens are crammed into tight spaces with inadequate ventilation and cleaning practices.
These conditions lead to a buildup of ammonia and a pungent stench. However, it's essential to recognize the stark contrast between these industrial settings and the increasingly popular urban backyard chicken movement. The odor is not a concern in a typical backyard coop with a limited number of hens. For this reason CLUCK for Norridge advocates limiting hens to a maximum of five. Modern chicken coops are now better ventilated and easier to clean, reducing waste buildup and preventing bad smells.
When it comes to unpleasant odors, the stench emitted by dog waste surpasses the offensiveness of chicken manure by a substantial margin. Moreover, when we dive into waste production, we find that chickens produce a remarkably minimal amount of waste compared to their canine counterparts. In perspective, a modest 40-pound pooch generates approximately 0.75 pounds of waste daily, whereas a flock of five chickens collectively generates a mere 0.63 pounds of waste.
https://petpooskiddoo.com/blog/showing-much-animals-poop-fruit/
https://petpooskiddoo.com/blog/showing-much-animals-poop-fruit/
Moreover, chicken manure can create an incredibly valuable fertilizer for your garden, unlike dog waste which is harmful to compost for food crops. Extensive research conducted by Iowa State University over 20 years has shown that fertilizing with poultry manure enhances soil health, reduces erosion, increases organic material and water absorption, and even positively affects groundwater. This starkly contrasts commercial fertilizers and dog waste, which often have damaging consequences for the environment due to nutrient runoff. The value of chicken manure is so widely recognized that people sell their backyard flocks’ number twos on platforms like Etsy.com and ebay.com. Furthermore, dog poop can damage your lawn due to its high protein content, which makes it acidic and harmful to grass.
References:
http://archive.rcgov.org/ca20110307/LF030211-13/RCBackyardChickenKeeping.pdf
https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=B1299&title=nuisance-myths-and-poultry-farming
https://www.nofamass.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/7_Urban_Chicken_Myths.pdf
https://greenvillesoilandwater.com/pet-waste/
https://www.showmeboone.com/stormwater/education/pet-waste.asp
https://petpooskiddoo.com/blog/showing-much-animals-poop-fruit/
https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-11/Composting-Dog-Waste-Booklet-Alaska.pdf
https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/2019/long-term-iowa-state-research-shows-poultry-manure-improves-profits-soil-health
