Is baking soda safe to sprinkle on the floor of the coop?

[mtnviewfarms]

We keep our flock of Barred Rocks ( 3 roosters and 24 pullets ) in a large
very well ventilated coop which also gets sunshine through the large windows
that we have covered with heavy duty predator proof wire.

We are trying the 'deep litter' method and in spite of putting down lots
of fresh wood shavings ( hubby is a woodworker so no shortage of that )
and dry leaves, pine straw, etc. and even though the floor appears to be
dry I notice a whiff of amonia now and then and wondered if it would be
safe to use food grade baking soda on the floor of the coop to help absorb
odors and any moisture that may be there but not visible on the floor of the
coop.

Thanks.

 

[speckledhen]

Sorry, nope, due to the high salt content.

 

[mtnviewfarms]

Thank you Cynthia ( Neighbor ) - I thought there was probably a good reason
people didn't report using it - now I know why.

Elaine

 

[ThinkingChickens]

What about a layer of stall dry? Or, sprinkle some DE, that helps. Or, hang a bunch of vanilla car scent trees which help keep away flies and smells. Ha ha

 

[speckledhen]

Hey there, Elaine!

I tried those vanilla car air freshener things this year. Wow, they actually did work! They smelled nice for awhile and I had no flies at all in any of the coops, though there were plenty outside.

I do sprinkle DE under the roosts and stir it around. It dries things out, which helps keep ammonia odors down. Stall Dry works, but doesn't seem to go very far so I quit using it.

 

[flowerchicks]

The vanilla air fresheners repel flies?? I have ever heard that. I actually have more flies in the run area than the coop, I will have to try this

 

[stilldeb]

I mix DE with the pine shavings before I put them in the coop and it helps keep things dry and odor down. I also use agricultural lime on any problem areas outside, but not so much anymore since we started using sand in the runs. And yes definitely on the vanilla air fresheners. I have them tied on top of my runs. Keeps the flies away and smell great!

 

[Chick TV]

What about a layer of stall dry? Or, sprinkle some DE, that helps. Or, hang a bunch of vanilla car scent trees which help keep away flies and smells. Ha ha

The deep bedding method is like composting. The poop is considered the green and the bedding (like pine) is the brown....which is needed in for deep bedding (composting) in the coop. However, the DE stops that because not only does it kill the bad bacteria, but also the good bacteria that allows the poop and bedding breakdown together. Remember deep bedding sometimes is not cleaned out for 6 months sometimes. Imagine none of that ever breaking down and thus the nitrogen outnumbers the carbon until it becomes unbearable. So sorry no DE for her coop if she is doing deep bedding.

 

[ShrekDawg]

The deep bedding method is like composting. The poop is considered the green and the bedding (like pine) is the brown....which is needed in for deep bedding (composting) in the coop. However, the DE stops that because not only does it kill the bad bacteria, but also the good bacteria that allows the poop and bedding breakdown together. Remember deep bedding sometimes is not cleaned out for 6 months sometimes. Imagine none of that ever breaking down and thus the nitrogen outnumbers the carbon until it becomes unbearable. So sorry no DE for her coop if she is doing deep bedding.

This post is 12 years old

 

[Chick TV]

The deep bedding method is like composting. The poop is considered the green and the bedding (like pine) is the brown....which is needed in for deep bedding (composting) in the coop. However, the DE stops that because not only does it kill the bad bacteria, but also the good bacteria that allows the poop and bedding breakdown together. Remember deep bedding sometimes is not cleaned out for 6 months sometimes. Imagine none of that ever breaking down and thus the nitrogen outnumbers the carbon until it becomes unbearable. So sorry no DE for her coop if she is doing deep bedding.

Sorry i said nitrogen (though true) but should have also said, allowing build-up of noxious gases such as ammonia, infectious bacteria and the larvae of gastrointestinal parasites too.