Dolomitic Lime usage

[colospgs]

Does anyone have any guidance regarding lime usage to control run odor? We have had so much rain here in the last 6 weeks, that my dirt run has turned to mud a few times recently. With my hens pooping in the mud and walking around in it all day, they have turned it into a muddy poopy muck. Now that it is drying out a bit the smell is pertty bad. I have spread some dolomitic lime in there because I heard that will help with the smell.

It doesn't seem to be helping much, so I'm wondering if I'm applying it correctly. I broke up the top layer of dried muck, and spread out some lime...sparingly. How much should I be using? Was it a mistake to bust up the dirt first?

 

[MrsNorthie]

Does anyone have any guidance regarding lime usage to control run odor? We have had so much rain here in the last 6 weeks, that my dirt run has turned to mud a few times recently. With my hens pooping in the mud and walking around in it all day, they have turned it into a muddy poopy muck. Now that it is drying out a bit the smell is pertty bad. I have spread some dolomitic lime in there because I heard that will help with the smell.

It doesn't seem to be helping much, so I'm wondering if I'm applying it correctly. I broke up the top layer of dried muck, and spread out some lime...sparingly. How much should I be using? Was it a mistake to bust up the dirt first?

I have a section of run off of our old coop and it gets pretty wet, so I spread the same pine wood shavings over it, after it dries up or starts to get dirty, I rake it up, and it all goes in our compost pile. This fall, I plan on framing it up and putting in river rock and sand to improve drainage and then I will plant some chicken-friend herbs in caged pots to provide a more pleasant environment for them. Th rest of the run area drains much better.

 

[aart]

Coarse wood chippings, from a tree trimmer, should help with both drainage and 'composting' the poops. Even a couple inches of chippings should improve the situation with a couple days. More is not better, especially if chippings are fresh and has green leaves mixed in.

If water gathers/puddles in the run you'd need to do more pro-active drainage solutions.

Having a place to store the huge pile a trimmer could drop off for free can be a problem.

 

[bhawk-23]

I used lime in horse stalls on the wet urine area so I too figured it would work on a wet run area.
It helped in the horse stalls but not in the run.
What worked best for me was to just keep raking the top layer and removing the smelly dirt any chance I had. Once the smell dissipated and the ground good and dry I added a very thin layer of black top soil and sand. I still rake it over good when it’s wet. Keeping it dry is the best way to combat the smells.

The odor I had was from adding in a fermented hay bale during the winter. HUGE mistake! Not only did my yard smell like a cow farm but one poor hen had to have crop surgery. Glad to say over a year later the smell is gone and the hen is still happy and playing peace keeper in the flock.

Good luck!

Edit to add: my girls free range all day. They are only in this area more when it is wet or snow so it was easier to manage after my blunder.