Using lime in coop?

[kathy32]

I recently dealt with flystrike for the first time, and in one of my conversations at the feed store the clerk suggested sprinkling the run and coop floor with lime to reduce flies. I'd never used it before, but I did and the result was almost a miracle - less flies, the coop smelled cleaner, and the mites I'd been battling with pesticides seemed to vanish overnight. So my question is - is there too much of a good thing? Is there a downside to lime that I don't know about? Is the resolution of the mite problem coincidental? And how have I kept chickens for a decade without knowing about using lime? I understand there are multiple types of lime - I'm using agricultural lime.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We use barn lime here. You can use it as much as you want. We used it daily when we were dairy farmers. We now use it on the coop and shed floor after cleaning. I also put it in nestboxes, and on the roost cracks as well. It's a desiccant, and dries things out. Make sure it's barn lime or agricultural lime which is generally cheap.

 

[chickmamato7]

I recently started using stall lime, too, and I love it. I've seen a dramatic reduction in flies and the coop smells fresh & stays dry. I mix it in with PDZ, using it in both the coop & run. I do wear a mask when pouring and try not to create too much dust when raking. Like DE, it can cause lung damage over time if used without caution.

 

[kathy32]

Thank you so much for the replies! I'll keep using it