New hens are STAAAANKY!!

[21hens-incharge]

Thanks guys. I feel a tad bad because they went from a huge pasture to a small yard. But that coop with all of those birds to a smallish clean coop should be less are stressful. I have 4 hens and one rooster and they are being bullied pretty bad (mostly by the sebright bantam....she is being so horrible)

They don't have ever really had close contact with people. They looked at blueberries, apples, and BOS like they were aliens. No experience with treats. I hope they get the hang of it here and they get along well with the others sooner rather than later.

I will add some DE to their sand bath areas. Thank you!

DE has not been proven to benefit chickens at all.

In fact it is a fine powder that is harsh on chickens lungs, humans lungs and IS proven to be harmful to bee populations. It becomes easily airborne and travels great distances settling on everything.

I cannot recommend it for those reasons.

 

[Amer]

First, check that the birds are not sick, sometimes sick birds will smell funny. You can use non-contact measures but the way to assure a good-smelling chicken is a bath with baby soap.

 

[Jenjens]

Oh no! Not the BEES!!!! Okay, well I did add some already, but won't use anymore. These are pretty wild chickens, and they are afraid of me, so I can't give them any baths.

 

[Fishychix]

DE has not been proven to benefit chickens at all.

In fact it is a fine powder that is harsh on chickens lungs, humans lungs and IS proven to be harmful to bee populations. It becomes easily airborne and travels great distances settling on everything.

I cannot recommend it for those reasons.

Oh no! I had no idea it hurts bees. I listen to an organic gardening podcast and he’s never mentioned it. He recommends DE for several gardening uses.

 

[lyleg5895]

Oh no! I had no idea it hurts bees. I listen to an organic gardening podcast and he’s never mentioned it. He recommends DE for several gardening uses.

DE is great for getting rid of many pests in the garden but you have to be careful with it as it does the same to bees and other beneficial insects when they come in contact with it.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Oh no! I had no idea it hurts bees. I listen to an organic gardening podcast and he’s never mentioned it. He recommends DE for several gardening uses.

Basically it Gets on everything, including flowers bees are headed to. Then it gets on the bees and carried back to the hive.

It is 80-90% silica and under a microscope looks like shards of glass. It causes fine cuts on insects causing them to lose moisture and die.

It does not work when wet. There are soooooo many claims that it is a cure for worms in chickens, mites, lice etc, etc, etc. It isn't.

Lots of people buy into the hype, treat mites/lice using it and end up on here asking for help because the mites/lice are causing birds to die.

It just isn't worth the risks.

 

[chickenlittle21]

I put DE in my chicken coop and it works on reducing the smell but I generally put it under the bedding so it doesn't get kicked around as much. I recently found Stall Dry which works just as well as DE it just isn't a dust so it doesn't hurt the chickens lungs and it's also moisture absorbent.

 

[mommiesrcool]

HI,

I brought home 2 news hens from a farm and they smell real bad!!! They are skittish and won't let me near them, and they are stinking up my coop! Anyone have any contactless way I can make them smell better? Baking soda in the dust bath or something?? It was an organic farm, but their coop was just layers and layers of poop and feathers. With over 70 chickens, so I am not surprised.

I feel like the smell is permanently stuck in my nostrils lol.

Thanks

whenever my hens start smelling funky i bathe them in baby shampoo and dip them in ACV water and them rinse them off with water and i let the sun dry them up its HOT where i live but if its cold where you live i would blow-dry them or put them under a heat lamp.

 

[mommiesrcool]

First, check that the birds are not sick, sometimes sick birds will smell funny. You can use non-contact measures but the way to assure a good-smelling chicken is a bath with baby soap.

i do the same thing!

 

[NNYchick]

Thanks guys. I feel a tad bad because they went from a huge pasture to a small yard. But that coop with all of those birds to a smallish clean coop should be less are stressful. I have 4 hens and one rooster and they are being bullied pretty bad (mostly by the sebright bantam....she is being so horrible)

They don't have ever really had close contact with people. They looked at blueberries, apples, and BOS like they were aliens. No experience with treats. I hope they get the hang of it here and they get along well with the others sooner rather than later.

I will add some DE to their sand bath areas. Thank you!

If they had access to a large pasture to dust bath in I wouldn’t expect them to stink. Are you sure they are not sick? Did you quarantine away from your flock?