Coop clean out

[rosemarythyme]

Careful on using the chicken 'dirt' for your flower bed. That stuff will be very strong ad may burn your plants, id mix it in with a lot of other stuff to thin it out a bit.

I use mine as a mix in for existing soil in pots, or thrown on top of my raised beds during the off season in preparation for spring.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Careful on using the chicken 'dirt' for your flower bed. That stuff will be very strong ad may burn your plants

Thats why I plan on emptying coop in fall, then use the compost in the spring....

 

[Dhkoenig]

New to this group (and to chickens!) and trying to learn more about using diamatacious earth in the coop. The coop does not smell. I use white pine shavings. Every few days I turn the shavings and throw down a new layer. I was also sprinkling in some of this DE under the new layer of shavings to avoid smell and mites. I am concerned that the DE may be harmful to the chicks and I may not even need it. Is that correct? Just turn the shavings every few days, add a fresh layer, and completing clean it out when needed and not use the DE? Thanks!

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Hi - I was the BIGGEST DE person - when I did my spring cleaning I took everything out of the coop and rubbed everything down with DE so as to kill any mites etc...but a few days after that one of my hens got pneumonia. Double. She made it but only because I am the crazy lady who lets her hen be hospitalized for 5 days....but the doctor speculated that it might be because I could have overdone it on the DE. Ever since then I have been very sparing with it.

 

[Vickischics]

Hi - I was the BIGGEST DE person - when I did my spring cleaning I took everything out of the coop and rubbed everything down with DE so as to kill any mites etc...but a few days after that one of my hens got pneumonia. Double. She made it but only because I am the crazy lady who lets her hen be hospitalized for 5 days....but the doctor speculated that it might be because I could have overdone it on the DE. Ever since then I have been very sparing with it.

Well, all I can say is...Your chicken is very lucky to have you. And your very lucky to have a poultry vet nearby.
I've read about that happening from DE and more! Therefore, I don't use it anymore. Plus, I thought...Self....If I have to wear a N95 mask and gloves while dusting my coop, roost and inside the nesting boxes, why in the heck would I allow my chickens to be exposed to that fine powder in their little lungs when they're scratching away looking for something good to eat?
Plus, I really never had any luck with it anyway. The critter has to be submerged in the powder to maybe kill it. So, forget it. I use with much success Permethrin in my sprayer. Yes, I still wear a N95 mask and gloves but, at least it drys and remains effective and my girls aren't digging in it inside the coop, on the roost and in the nesting boxes while getting it into their little lungs.

 

[Dhkoenig]

Well, all I can say is...Your chicken is very lucky to have you. And your very lucky to have a poultry vet nearby.
I've read about that happening from DE and more! Therefore, I don't use it anymore. Plus, I thought...Self....If I have to wear a N95 mask and gloves while dusting my coop, roost and inside the nesting boxes, why in the heck would I allow my chickens to be exposed to that fine powder in their little lungs when they're scratching away looking for something good to eat?
Plus, I really never had any luck with it anyway. The critter has to be submerged in the powder to maybe kill it. So, forget it. I use with much success Permethrin in my sprayer. Yes, I still wear a N95 mask and gloves but, at least it drys and remains effective and my girls aren't digging in it inside the coop, on the roost and in the nesting boxes while getting it into their little lungs.

Ooooh googling now!!! (and thanks for the sweet words - we don't have a poultry vet either - I had to take her to a regular animal hospital where they have an avian vet - I wish to goodness there were farm-animal vets around here!!)

 

[Dhkoenig]

Ooooh googling now!!! (and thanks for the sweet words - we don't have a poultry vet either - I had to take her to a regular animal hospital where they have an avian vet - I wish to goodness there were farm-animal vets around here!!)

I just googled and it sounds really great. What brand did you use?