flies and bad odors in the runs...what to do???

[annek]

Quote:
Thanks for telling me that; I was just gonna sort of sprinkle in on top before we do the rest. Do you mean really dig it in pretty deep or just rake it lightly into the soil? My husband will be helping me to do it tomorrow evening. I have 2 large outside runs and 3 smaller outside runs that we are working on.

Be careful with lime, it is caustic and will burn their feet. You need to work it in really well. I don't use lime except to white wash walls. I go with Sweet PDZ which does the same thing as lime in keeping the ammonia down and drying out the poop.

 

[goldenluver]

oh. I forgot, that is $55.00 for 50lb. bag on e-bay.

 

[SPRING CREEK FARM]

Thanks for answering that lime application question; so I need to sprinkle it over the ground and really blend it in and then use whatever I aim to dress the runs with and apply that on top of it all? That way I should not have to worry about it ever getting to their feet, right? My husband did caution me about needing to wear gloves when applying it...I am glad I did not try to do this earlier today as I would have just sprinkled it on and the poor chickens would have burned their feet!

 

[chookchick]

Here's what I would do--cover as much of the run as you can with tarps, etc..to keep it dry. Make sure they drain off and don't just collect a big pool of water! on top of the tarp.

Call up your local tree service guys and have them deliver a load of woodchip. Around here it is free, but sometimes takes a while, as they have become more popular. Cover the bottom of the run 4 to 5" deep. If your run is drained and dry, you won't have any need for the DE or lime or any of that stuff, though a little won't hurt.

 

[consdrs]

I feel for ya, what a stinky, yucky, thankless job. well the chicks are thanking you, worms! yeah! but what a drag...

1. don't put straw\\hay in runs = smelly moldy mess
2. stall dry, stall boy, DE helps. wear a mask when applying DE very dusty. I have asthma and can't use it.
3. The best thing, lime and a rototiller. spread a lot of lime and till it in you will be amazed. just rototilling the whole thing would be a vast improvement. I turn my run 1-2 times a week.
4. stop the run from getting wet in the first place.
5. lots and lots of sand. in my 11x25 run we added a yard of sand and it stays almost too dry. I water it down in the summer to cut the dust.

Connie

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
How many chickens are we talking about here?

 

[SPRING CREEK FARM]

Davaroo, these 2 runs that I was working on this morning don't have many chickens in them at all. One side has only 4 little silkies in it and the other side has only 7 very small bantams in it and these are really good sized runs. The weather here the past 2 weeks has been so wet, and it seems that it has stormed every day. It is thundering outside right now. Like I said earlier this morning, yesterday the temp got up to 93 and the humidity was 85%. Also, I believe that I have been putting out too much feed and it has been rotting away which brings on the flies. We just about have those 2 runs all worked out now and will finish up tomorrow after we put the lime in the dirt and get it all worked in. I start on the large pen tomorrow where the peacocks and pheasants are, oh joy! The hard part is the fact that my husband put THICK layers of hay all over the ground and that stuff is nasty to get out of there once all that decay gets to going with their poop and the rotting feed.

I hope I just about have it whipped now...

 

[ivan3]

annek wrote: Be careful with lime, it is caustic and will burn their feet. You need to work it in really well. I don't use lime except to white wash walls. I go with Sweet PDZ which does the same thing as lime in keeping the ammonia down and drying out the poop.

AG lime should be Calcium Carbonate or Calcium Carbonate and Magnesium Carbonate (dolomite - which, if cooked under pressure, for a very long time, becomes marble). It is pretty much ground limestone ( or dolomitic limestone). It is safe for feet.

Lime that burns tootsies is either HYDRATED (Calcium Hydroxide) or QUICK (Calcium Oxide).​

 

[Judy]

I haven't read this whole thread, but... has anyone read Pat's muddy run page?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-fix-a-muddy-run

 

[moonflowers]

Quote:
Thanks for the article, that was extremely useful! I tried straw in my run but it does seem worse. Time to get some sand!!