How do I combat mold in my runs?

[wanda047]

I had noticed a horrible odor in my runs yesterday and assumed it was a combination of chicken poo, saturated soil (rain), and spilt chicken feed. I was partially right. Today though I discovered mold on the ground in each of my 5 runs!

Daughter and I cleaned the runs the best we could considering they are very wet still from all the rain we've had. The ground is just soggy. I need some suggestions. I know the mold cannot be healthy for my chickens. How do I get rid of the mold and odor?

I read somewhere here about Stall Dry? Would this do the trick? The heat has been horrible today and they're forcasting a few more days of very hot weather, before more rain hits. Will the heat itself kill the mold? And is there any way to prevent this from happening again?

 

[gumpsgirl]

Try adding a good thick layer of agricultural lime to the runs. This will kill any bacteria that is surfacing and help take care of the stink that seems to show up after lots of rain. Since it kills bacteria, I should take care of the mold problem as well. Here's hoping anyways!

 

[wanda047]

I'm assuming the chickens will scratch in this and possibly eat some of it... will it hurt them?

 

[Southernbelle]

Oxine AH is an awesome cleaner/disinfectant - has been proven to work more effectively than Clorox and is very safe for animals. You can spray it around them, on them and even put it in their drinking water.

I bought mine from: http://www.firststatevetsupply.com/store/index.php?cPath=53

Here's an article on it:
http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/oxine.htm

 

[LynneP]

I use a combination of Stable Boy powder and food-grade DE in our run, which is roofed. Stall Dri would be equally good. No flies, bad odors or mold. You might find a load of sand useful after cleaning down the run and applying the powder which is safe for birds, dogs and horses. Our soil is sandy loam which is perfect for birds, and if you could condition yours with sand I think you would see a huge improvement. Also, we always feed indoors to avoid spoilage, except for a livestock bowl for treats which is under cover.