Lime

[babybop11]

Anybody use lime in their coop for smell control and mite prevention? what brand do you use? how can i be sure i’m using something that is safe for my pullets?

 

[mossyoakpro]

I rake lime into my run about once a week...I get the barn lime from TSC and sprinkle a thin layer on top of the ground and rake it in. If I put it in my coop it's not very often as I have poop boards so there is zero smell in there. I sprinkled a little on the pine shavings when I put them in but that's been it so far. Welcome to the forum by the way!!!

 

[nuthatched]

Use a light hand, it can be caustic in certain amounts. It doesn't do much to prevent mites.

 

[arazla]

@nuthatched What do you use in your coop? I'm also worried about lime being caustic.
I came across this on Quora, though it's just someone's comment, but it has some good suggestions for cleaning. I'm also not sure how to apply DE safely in the coop so that they don't inhale it.

Here's this person's opinion:

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Hydrated lime aka calcium hydroxide aka slaked lime, is POISONOUS/TOXIC highly caustic and can/will KILL your chickens.

If you’re trying to treat/control an infestation of parasites like mites - use FOOD GRADE Diatomaceous earth (DE). Even then be sure to do the research required to apply it in a safe manner.
The farm I get my eggs from:
Cleans up/removes uneaten food & poop from their coop everyday
Dust the entire coop, Clean waterers and feeding boxes & Replaces nesting box bedding every week
Wipe down walls, doors and ceilings with a water/cleaning vinegar mixture, Scrape poop off of roosting bars, then clean, them with water/cleaning vinegar mixture once a month
3 times a year they Deep clean their coop, by take it all the way down to ‘clean’ dirt, scrubbing EVERY surface with cleaning water/cleaning vinegar solution, let it dry then apply DE to nesting boxes, rub it along the roosts, sprinkle it on the coop’s floor and pack it into nooks and crannies. They then apply a layer of coarse-grained sand to the floor and add a layer of hay mixed with straw (bedding).

Once a year they rotate their chickens to another coop, strip/clean the old one and bleach it using a solution of 3/4 cup of outdoor bleach to 1 gallon of water, fix anything that needs to be repaired and let it sit empty until the next annual rotation at which point it’s dusted, rinsed down w/ water, allowed to dry, sprayed w/ water/cleaning vinegar, allowed to dry again then stocked with fresh DE, Sand & bedding.

They’re so diligent in caring for their pasture raised flock, that I don’t mind paying A LOT more than the typical price for farm fresh eggs.

Same goes for the price of the cow share I’m a member of - the small herd whose milk I buy is treated very well & the cows, some of which are ove" 10 years-old, get to have a year-long rest between calves."
And there was a lot about the unhappy lives of factory farmed animals after that.

 

[nuthatched]

@nuthatched What do you use in your coop? I'm also worried about lime being caustic.
I came across this on Quora, though it's just someone's comment, but it has some good suggestions for cleaning. I'm also not sure how to apply DE safely in the coop so that they don't inhale it.

Here's this person's opinion:

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Hydrated lime aka calcium hydroxide aka slaked lime, is POISONOUS/TOXIC highly caustic and can/will KILL your chickens.

If you’re trying to treat/control an infestation of parasites like mites - use FOOD GRADE Diatomaceous earth (DE). Even then be sure to do the research required to apply it in a safe manner.
The farm I get my eggs from:
Cleans up/removes uneaten food & poop from their coop everyday
Dust the entire coop, Clean waterers and feeding boxes & Replaces nesting box bedding every week
Wipe down walls, doors and ceilings with a water/cleaning vinegar mixture, Scrape poop off of roosting bars, then clean, them with water/cleaning vinegar mixture once a month
3 times a year they Deep clean their coop, by take it all the way down to ‘clean’ dirt, scrubbing EVERY surface with cleaning water/cleaning vinegar solution, let it dry then apply DE to nesting boxes, rub it along the roosts, sprinkle it on the coop’s floor and pack it into nooks and crannies. They then apply a layer of coarse-grained sand to the floor and add a layer of hay mixed with straw (bedding).

Once a year they rotate their chickens to another coop, strip/clean the old one and bleach it using a solution of 3/4 cup of outdoor bleach to 1 gallon of water, fix anything that needs to be repaired and let it sit empty until the next annual rotation at which point it’s dusted, rinsed down w/ water, allowed to dry, sprayed w/ water/cleaning vinegar, allowed to dry again then stocked with fresh DE, Sand & bedding.

They’re so diligent in caring for their pasture raised flock, that I don’t mind paying A LOT more than the typical price for farm fresh eggs.

Same goes for the price of the cow share I’m a member of - the small herd whose milk I buy is treated very well & the cows, some of which are ove" 10 years-old, get to have a year-long rest between calves."
And there was a lot about the unhappy lives of factory farmed animals after that.

I don't use anything in my coop actually.
Lime is only caustic if they get wet to the skin then roll in it, you shouldn't have that problem, dry lime won't hurt them unless it gets in their eyes. Which it shouldn't if it's under the litter.
I wouldn't use DE. It really doesn't work and I'd rather keep away from my birds due to its properties that can harm a birds delicate respiratory system.
That's a lot of cleaning and while I'm sure it's worth it to them, it's more work than I have time for. I clean mine out and put new litter every 4 months. I add new bedding once a month. I don't wipe down anything because that is a loosing battle for me.
Cobwebs get knocked down every few weeks so it doesn't look haunted.