I'm so disgusted!!! What do I do????

[cjeanean]

I went outside to rake the litter in my mini coop (the ones I keep the meat birds in) and discovered that almost all the litter is dry except for the stuff in the very front next to their pophole. PROBLEM: THERE ARE MAGGOTS, yes, MAGGOTS, in the wet stuff in front of the pophole. What the heck do I do??? I'm gonna try to clean it out, I always thought chickens EAT maggots, but for some reason my meat chickens aren't normals and aren't eating them. Can I put baking soda in their little to cut down on the stink and to kill the maggots??? At least I think it would kill the maggots, since it's so salty and will dry their moist, FREAKIN DISGUSTING bodies out.....I don't have any DE yet, so that's not an option. Please help!!! I'm so grossed out right now I can't even think!!!

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Maggots are from flys and need moisture and something to feed on. Sadly the meat birds make things perfect for them, and no, those birds generally don't forage well, they have had that bred out of them so the meat stays tender.

Remove the wet bedding and replace it with dry. Prevention is with Dolmite lime. Keeps the bedding dry and the pH chage prevents maggots and the smell that meat birds are known for. It also gives balence to the mix so that when you compost afterward it will go faster and be better for the garden afterward.

Sorry this happened, don't let it put you off.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I'm curious what you use for bedding? Do you use pine shavings, hay, straw?

 

[cjeanean]

I use pine shavings...where can I get dolmite lime???

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Any garden store will have Dolomite, it's the stuff you put on the lawn when you have too much moisture so the moss dominates. Well, we do in the rain forest areas anyway.

Regardless it's a common fertilizer and soil balancer and great for dealing with and preventing the stink of chicken manure.