Question about smelly, dirty, messy, chickens

[ChickieKeeta]

I don't recall exactly where I read it. I was searching the internet for deep litter method. Hydrated lime was recomended. You can do an internet search for recomendations of what lime to use. Or contact your local agricultural officials or 4H.

I have used the lime with no problems. On the lawn every time I move the tractors, when I muck out the wet runs and in the coop.
It is not pelleted.

 

[Rafter 7 Paint Horses]

Hydrated lime.
It is a powder, not a pellet.
I don't recommend using the pelleted lime.

Check with your feed store, TSC, and I have even found it at Wal-mart in the garden section.


Jean

 

[Sam The Yam]

If you turn the soil or bedding in the run or coop to help get the dampness to dry quicker it will help get rid of the odor as well. Rake out anything such as feathers or chicken manure that you can and keep the soil turned and loose so as to expose it to the air. That helps.

 

[BorderKelpie]

I have cheated in the past and just put down lots of baking soda. I heard somewhere (a long, long time ago) that lime can cause blindness. I guess if they scratch it up and get it in their eyes??? IDK, but the baking soda is cheap (I use the Walmart brand) and sprinkle it liberally after it rains. Then, I put down freah pine shavings and everyone seems happy. I don't even spread the shavings anymore, I dump it in a huge pile and laugh at the birds as they scratch/spread it themselves.

 

[BioBob]

The safest thing you can use is DE (diatomaceous earth).

If the chickens DO eat it, it will be beneficial for them (I put it in their feed).

The flies will be gone as well as their larva. The reason that the sticky paper and drowning jugs don't work is that the next batch of flies has already been laid down in the poo. The DE will dry them out and kill them.

I lay down a layer of DE over the poo every 3 or 4 days, and I haven't seen a fly for a couple of months. It also took out a couple of fire ant hills (sprinkle a handful over the raw dirt).

Good Luck

 

[Lilredhippie]

The lime should be agricultural lime. Mine says on th bag "for animal feed".
Also, stall dry has clay and DE in a tiny pellet form. It seems to help with the odor. Stall dry is at your local TSC or the like, lime at the feed store.

 

[Sjisty]

I use the deep litter method. I sprinkle a layer Stall Dry or Sweet PDZ first - that keeps the smell down. Then I cover that with DE and then a layer of pine shavings. The chickens keep it pretty stirred up. I rarely have a problem with flies or smell, and I have 30+ chickens. If it rains a lot, then I rake and sprinkle another layer of Stall Dry. Before I used it, the smell could knock you dead within 5 feet of the coop!

 

[patandchickens]

Hmm... first, are you SUUUURE it's the chickens that are smelling, and not your fly jug? Usually you'd put the stinky-type fly traps (not the sticky-paper ones, they're ok in the coop) somewhere like 100' away, because my goodness can they ever stench up a place. (Whcih is kind of why they work, but, still)

If your *waterers* are getting stinky despite being emptied and scrubbed each day... that's not right. Are they located such that poo and bedding is getting into them during the day? If so, fix that and it'll fix most of the waterer problem. If that's not the issue, try bleaching the waterers and letting them dry in the sun (you can use dishes as a temporary water source). If waterers are not getting anything kicked into them and getting bleached regularly and STILL smell within a day, there is something wrong with your water source and you really need to get your well or tapwater tested, possibly as a HUMAN health issue as well as animal health. For instance high nitrates can cause quickly-smelly water, and that's really not good for you or the animals to be drinking.

In terms of the rest of the coop -- if you can remove the stinky traps to somewhere far, far away for a few days, and the coop still stinks, it's a moisture problem. Do what you can to dry out the coop and runs and keep them that way. Mount droppings boards and clean them every morning (it only takes a few seconds per pen, literally, honest); fix any and all roof leaks and waterer leaks; if you have a dirt floor, consider building it up with gravel so it is higher and free-draining and not damp; rig windows so that rain cant' blow in. For the run, mount gutters on all nearby roofs however small they may be, with downspouts running the water WELL away; trench around the run, not too close to the posts, to help dry the ground out and lead rainwater away; use roofing or plywood or tarps wherever feasible to limit rain going into teh run; if you have an organic material on the ground in your run (shavings, wood chips, mulch, hay, straw, etc) remove it all and either just see if you can get away with bare ground or replace with a load of cheap sand-gravel 'roadbase' mix.

The drier things are, the less flies and stink.

GOod luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Sissy]

I have been using the deep litter method with wood shavings and AG lime put down before each new layer of shavings an i have never had a problem with odor or flies in my flock of 37.