Stinky run, how do I neutralize the smell?

[ChickenAl]

If you use pelletized AG lime that will be no problem for their feet as it is ground limestone. They can also eat it for a calcium supply, so it is the safest form of lime to use.

We use sand in our run, a little DE and a little bit of pine shavings on top. The lime is going in this week. It usually only gets stinky when the rain seeps under the run and then it only lasts until the sun dries it. As the run is covered it only gets nasty in the heaviest of rains.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
Hydrated Lime (Calcium Hydroxide) is caustic when wet

"AG" Lime (Calcium Carbonate) is harmless, and is chemically the same as Oyster shell

That's the point of using hydrated lime. It is caustic enough to kill off the microbes that are thriving in the moist manure and making it stink. As the other poster stated you need to cover it with straw so the chickens aren't walking directly in it.

Ag lime does little. It is the equivalent of taking the fines out of your gravel driveway (crushed limestone) and spreading them in your run. It may bury the smell, but it does nothing to neutralize it.

 

[ChickenAl]

Quote:
Hydrated Lime (Calcium Hydroxide) is caustic when wet

"AG" Lime (Calcium Carbonate) is harmless, and is chemically the same as Oyster shell

That's the point of using hydrated lime. It is caustic enough to kill off the microbes that are thriving in the moist manure and making it stink. As the other poster stated you need to cover it with straw so the chickens aren't walking directly in it.

Ag lime does little. It is the equivalent of taking the fines out of your gravel driveway (crushed limestone) and spreading them in your run. It may bury the smell, but it does nothing to neutralize it.

Mac, didn't know the AG lime was so useless. I had heard not to use hydrated lime because it is caustic, but you bring up a good point about it killing the microbes. Using shaving on top is a good idea to protect their feet.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
Well, it's not completely useless. A lot is sold as "barn lime" for dairy and horse barns. It is absorbent and creates a non-slip surface. For large animals like cows and horses if you can keep the urine from mixing with the manure you can cut down on the stink and ammonia production. The barn lime helps to absorb the urine and tempers the acidity.

Bird manure is different. Since the urea encapsulates the manure pellet (which is why poultry manure is so high in nitrogen), it is already set up to produce a big stink and you can't separate the two parts. Applying barn lime may help the smell a little, but only by covering it up.