Is it safe to use lime in the chicken coop?

[bevyjo]

Wow, I wish I had read this BEFORE I sprinkled the lime in my two chicken runs. I asked the feed store for lime for the coops and sure enough, they gave me hydrated lime. Luckily they are all shut in for the night. Guess I'm going to go hose it all out of their runs now.

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

I have used First Saturday Lime in my coop. I can't say whether or not it actually helped with the moisture since they regularly dump their water, but it is a chicken-safe brand.

 

[tdy123]

Someone asked this recently...here is the information I gave them

Is it Ag lime or Hydrated Lime? Hydrated will kill them...

here is the information from the Dept. of Agriculture

There are two different kinds of lime.

Hydrated lime, slake lime, or "burn lime"- This is pure white. Hydrated lime is very caustic, so the bag will have a warning on it. This is the kind of lime you use for white wash . This lime will burn you and your livestock. Do not use it on the floor. Do not breath it.

Agricultural lime, "ag lime", "garden lime", "barn lime" or dolomite- This lime is gray and can be used to spread on the floor of your barn. This is safe for you and your livestock. It will not burn.

In the past we spread Ag. lime on our barn floor because it provides an antibacterial quality, dries out and "sweetens" the floor , and also it makes it easier to clean, for some people.

If you just ask for lime at your feed store, they will probably give you hydrated lime. If you say it's for the barn floor they will still probably give you hydrated. Please be safe, get the "Ag" lime .

I am searching for the perfect coop freshener I've tried Sweet PDZ for coops and stalls and lo and behold, the horsey version is cheaper and just as effective. I've tried Stall Dry and it isn't any better, but then I was already using a DE mix. I haven't tried Ag lime but only because I read somewhere that you shouldn't compost it (not sure whether I should trust that source). I laid a layer of sand on the bottom and sprinkled it with DE before adding the bedding.
I've also been mixing my own dried herbs with the bedding and I've completely switched from pine chips to industrial hemp.
Any thoughts?

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

I haven't found anything that really helps with the smell aside from good ventilation and regular cleaning.

 

[Liz in Colorado]

Someone locally told me that they use lime in their coops and run to keep the smell down. Is that safe to do?

I know quite a few people on here use the food grade DE and I know that's safe. I was just curious about the lime!

Someone locally told me that they use lime in their coops and run to keep the smell down. Is that safe to do?

I know quite a few people on here use the food grade DE and I know that's safe. I was just curious about the lime!

Hello, I was raised on a farm and can speak from experience. Yes, controlling the smell is important. If you can smell it, so can the chickens. Too much of that ammonia can cause upper respiratory infections. Zeolites are used to control ammonia odors. Lime has its uses, but it won't kill ammonia. If you used like and the smell is better, it's because you may have covered it up, like throwing sand on any a final waste you find. I read an article on cleaning barn stalls for horses - an animal that is also sensitive to becoming ill, if they aren't kept in a fairly clean stall. Zeolite was recommended over lime. The article is at https://stablemanagement.com/new-products/barn-lime-54646

On lime, it helps to know that the right one for your chickens is the agricultural one. It's more of a light gray color. The one that used in construction has caustic silica in it, a.k.a. hydrated type 's' lime, and it's a white color. It helps with insect control and can also be mixed in garden soil at the time of tilling, to kill grubs / insects before you plant your garden. Getting back to the chickens, I'd remove them from the coop, give it good cleaning, put on some gloves, spread your zeolite or ag lime on the ground / nests, then bring in fresh hay for the ground / nests. After that you can bring them back in. If birds have nested in your coop or are frequently visiting to steal chicken feed, they can bring nasty bugs with them, like fleas or bird mites. Doing these things will help, but mixing some dry herbs like rosemary, thyme, peppermint / Spearmint, garlic, and clove - then mixing a little (1/2 cup) into the nests once every couple of weeks, can help with that. For a bad bug infestation, spraying vinegar mixed with a squirt of blue Dawn dishwashing liquid, in a sprayer will be stinky for a few hours, but won't hurt your chickens. Adding Apple cider vinegar to their water, oregano oil or thyme oil, is actually good for them. A warning about spraying vinegar though, is it can attract wasps to the area until it dries. However, the mites / fleas that get sprayed will die. Good luck to you.

 

[cluckingheck]

is dolomitic hydrated agricultural lime okay? it’s a graymont brand. im really confused about it due to the hydrated part, but it says agriculture.

 

[AprilsZoo]

Dolomite = Ag lime. You are right though, that label is confusing.
I’d probably read more of the label to find out the intended/recommended use. If it mentions anything about use as a whitewash paint, probably better to steer clear.

 

[natyvidal]

Ok. If I buy a lime that is used in horse stalls as a refresher it's also good to spread in my coop and run?

 

[Tahai]

reviving this conversation with a twist for the Deep Litter practioners.

Back story:
- I have a new run (16x20) that is roofed, but still gets water blown in on the sides in storms.
- 10 pullets/hens are confined to the run and coop 24/7 (heavy predator load).
- I am working on getting my deep litter established in the run. (base was bare earth, clay hummus soil type)
- Sweet PDZ helps, but is expensive for regular effective application in the run, and that run still stinks to high heaven after a rain and on a humid day (I am in upstate PA).
- I was reading this thread to learn about options in liming the run.
- I've also read about First Saturday Lime ($31 a bag ! :O )

Here's my connundrum/twist: I was looking into the effect of Ag Lime on deep litter methods. It appears that ag lime is bad for the activation of the composting process. (raises the ph too high for the formation of the ammonia eating microbes).

What non-lime and reasonably affordable methods are any of you using in your deep litter runs to cut down on odor in the establishment phase?

I have recently learned that, as much as I hate to, I really need to use pine to establish my base as straw doesn't absorb enough. I'll be putting down 3 or 4 bales of pine this weekend. (I use aspen in my brooder and nurse pen, but it is too expensive for large applications. With the run being open air, I'm hopeful that the pine will not be as much of a problem as it would if I were using it in the closed coop. )

Thank you in advance for you thoughts and sharing of experiences.

 

[Whyvetty]

Stall Dry is excellent for the coop. It has DE in it, and granular clay. This is the stuff (there's also something called "Dry Stall". That's different):

http://www.wicp.com/stall_dry.htm

TSC carries it, if you don't want to try the lime.

Hello all, I enjoy reading all the advice on here , so thanks. I have been investigating lime use too. As far as D.E goes...having silica in it....is that bad for your (and chickens) respiratory system? Is it the same 'silica' that is now being highlighted in stone bench manufacturing that causes Silicosis??