Baking soda for odor control! It works!

Okay, so I tried to get PDZ at the feed store, but all they had was Stall-Dri and it was twice as expensive as the same quantity of feed... I just couldn't do it! lol

So I decided to try the old stand-by: Baking soda. I hesitated, because no one on here or in any of my reading seemed clear on whether it was safe for ducks, but I decided to take a chance because it's so very innocuous for humans & goats (in fact, it's a tonic against bloat in goats), and because I know it's present in a lot of the breads people use for treats for ducks. I realize that doesn't necessarily mean it won't hurt them if ingested directly, but I figure since all my research didn't produce an answer, the only way to find out was to try a little.

So I put a tiny bit on top of their bedding this morning, and watched for a bit. They picked at it, but quickly discovered it wasn't yummy and mostly left it alone. So then I poured more in, so there's a fine covering over the whole floor (quickly ground in by their walking, and washed in by all the water everywhere, of course). It's now 12 hours later and the brooder doesn't stink!!

I use baking soda for SO many things around the house. It's so cheap and useful and non-toxic. And now I have a new use! Yay!

I'm curious whether anyone else has tried baking soda? If you have or do, I'd like to hear about it--I'd hesitate to actually recommend it to anyone until there's a larger body of evidence beyond my one brooder of ten ducklings. Thanks!

I use it in the rabbit pans.. Each week when I clean out the shavings, I sprinkle it in the corners of choice (they do their business in just one) and it cuts the smell.

Not surprising as urea is an acid and baking soda is a base. Like lime, but much safer.

Baking Soda is great stuff for odder control. Just remember its alkali. The more you put down the more alkali the soil becomes. Under a cage it probably won’t be a problem but if you use it around plants and use it a lot eventually it will kill them.

I hadn't thought about the plants thing--but is it okay to throw in the compost? The duck bedding all goes in the compost... we have acid soil around here so it seems like if the pH of the compost is altered, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing but then... once everything's composted, isn't the pH neutralized anyway?

Anyway--as an experiment, I decided not to clean the brooder tonight (since it doesn't stink), and just sprinkled more baking soda on top of the poop. The ducks really don't like the taste of it, so I don't think they'll eat dangerous quantities (if there is such a thing), and so far even my husband's sensitive nose is appeased by this solution. We'll see how it is in the morning when it's been 24 hours since the last cleaning.

They're all sleeping in there now. Is there anything in the world cuter?

I'm going to have to try it! I got six old ducks recently, and even though they have only been here a few weeks, their favorite hangout area is already unbelievably STINKY! When the wind blows, the whole yard smells. It's weird how six ducks smell so much but 50 chickens and 10 goats never really smell.

Yeah, they are stinky! Ducks were my first farm-yard pet, so when I raised chickens for the first time I couldn't believe how CLEAN they were, lol! Now we have quail too, and I love having a brooder full of quail babies because you only have to change the bedding every few days or so. And the goats--I almost never change their bedding--it just doesn't get that dirty.

But the ducks--whew!!

The only thing is--I wish I knew where to buy baking soda in bulk. I use SO MUCH of it around the house that I want it in great big 50-lb bags, and if I'm going to use it in the barnyard too, I'm going to need more than a little kitchen box of it.

Actually, I don't know that I would try it outdoors--it would wash away so quickly, and I'm not sure how long-lasting it could possibly be. For a brooder it's perfect--it lasts long enough, since I have to change the bedding daily anyway. But outdoors--you'd probably have to sprinkle it daily. On the other hand, it might be worth it anyway. Let me hear how it works for you!

We buy the "Fridge" boxes of baking soda and open the sides and set them around the duck's room/pen (where they can't reach). We shake them every couple days to help asborb odor.

you can also try DE... I bought 10lbs of food grade DE from ebay for like 25$, which seems like a lot, but 10lbs goes a LOOOOONG way. I find that, plus Sweet PDZ, and baking soda to be a odor force to be reckoned with! lol

Thanks! I'm pretty happy with my results. I'm sitting next to the brooder here that has not been cleaned in 24 hours, and can't smell it at all.

I laid the stuff on thick--I can still see it in patches under the poop. But it's so cheap, I think I can keep this up.

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To tell you the truth, I don’t know. Some plants like acid soil some more alkali. I don’t know if the Baking soda will breakdown with the organic material or not. You could test the PH before putting it in you garden and add citric acid to lower the PH if necessary. I’m thinking the PH will be within range for most plants after everything has broken-down. But I just don’t know.

iamcuriositycat-
Awesome! Thank you for the experiment!! I hadn't thought of the baking soda! DUH!!! We use it for odor control all over the place why not the ducks!

I am going to try some in the Walduck Astoria Hotel (duck house) with the white shavings! It doesn't get too stinky because I hose everything down everyday but every little bit always helps!