Using Baking Soda in the run

[JimWWhite]

Has anyone used Baking Soda in their run to keep down the smell, etc? I'm wondering if a big box of A & H baking soda would work to keep down the smell. BS is cheap for a big 12lb bag for less than $7 and it is food grade. I don't know what effect it may have on chickens though. A large bag should be enough to sprinkle pretty liberally all over a run like mine which is 22'x18' and then work it in with a hoe. If its OK to use it probably would be as cheap as DE and easier to find. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

[speckledhen]

Lots of salt in baking soda; they pick at the ground and eat dirt while picking up grit, so they may consume too much sodium, would be my thought. Agricultural lime tilled in would help lots (hydrated lime will burn if not rained/watered in, though).

 

[obxWaMi]

Personally, I would be afraid to use baking soda in my run. First of all it's antacid and secondly, it is high in sodium. I use it in our cat litter box and it doesn't work very well, so I can't imagine that it would work well on chicken poop smell all that well either. I was reading another post concerning smell and someone mentioned Stall Dry as a remedy. They said they got it at TS. I plan to ask about it when I go to the feed store next week.

 

[crazyhen]

I have not found anything that works great in the run if it gets wet. I have tried ag. lime, sweetpdz and other attempts. The only thing that works for me is lots of sand for drainage. It is on the side of a hill but still gets terribly smelly sometimes. Has anyone got anymore ideas on getting the odor gone!!! It is a 12 by 48' run.
I would not use baking soda. It can change the alkalinaty of the blood if they get to much and make them very sick. Gloria Jean

 

[daddysgirlz]

I think you should not...my opinion is this...correct me if I am wrong but, birds cannot burp....If you through up an alkaselzer to a seagull they will...ummm...explode! I would be concerned of the same sort of thing happening if the chickens eat it. ???

 

[Bawk Vader]

Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is the best thing I've found for the smell and for flies.

 

[coldinnh]

how does the DE keep odors down? The flies I get- lacerates and kills them...but odors?

 

[churchx3]

DE is what I use and it is working fine. I have a sand coop and run and I sprinkle DE in both usually once a week. A bag of DE goes a LONG way...I bought a bag 2+ months ago and still have not made a dent in it...it has the consistency of flour so a little goes a long way!

 

[harewizard]

Quote:
x2!

 

[harewizard]

Quote:
It is a drying agent. It dries up the poop, thus keeping odor down. You will not notice a change if you apply after a heavy rain, and for the first time. Get a system down before the rains. Maybe 1x per week sprinkle a small amount in your run. Then when it does rain, the smell is must less significant!