just making sure I'm doing it right D-E and Lime

[SossFarm]

Hey y'all, I just wanted to make sure I'm moving in the right direction with my DE and Lime applications. Since we have started raising our girls, we have cleaned out the coop and added lime and DE as a habit. First, I just figured out what that little accordion thing is and I like it!!! I had been applying DE with a red solo cup and just flinging it inside the house. We did our routine clean out yesterday and this time I used the puffer with DE. I allowed the "Smoke Screen" to dissipate, then I added a round of Barn Lime. I allowed everything to settle and I replaced the shavings on top. Over the next few weeks, we will add to the shavings and then repeat the process. Don't have mites or ticks, but we do the DE as prevention and the lime to keep as many smells down. We live in a formerly small town and I just found out that we don't really have a limit on the number we can have in our flock.... so I'm planning ahead! LOL! I guess I'm just wanting to make sure I'm being efficient and I'm not doing anything in a manner that will hurt my girls....

Thank You

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Personally I'd stop the DE. It's a respiratory irritant to both human and birds. It's also an indiscriminate killer of both beneficial and bad bugs.

We use barn lime here. Goes under the bedding, in the nest boxes, and anywhere else it's needed.

 

[Robert Kazlauski]

Personally I'd stop the DE. It's a respiratory irritant to both human and birds. It's also an indiscriminate killer of both beneficial and bad bugs.

We use barn lime here. Goes under the bedding, in the nest boxes, and anywhere else it's needed.

Yes, I read on line that DE has been linked or can cause cancer in humans.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

What are you using for bedding in your run sorry, coop?

 

[SossFarm]

I'm using the small pine chips. We were using the larger chips from TS, but they don't break down as quickly in the compost (so we switched to the smaller).