The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club > Housing, Health & Hatching

Raising chickens stinks.......literally!!!!

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Lee G:
Interesting! I've never used lime myself.

What I do use to keep things dry is a mixture of Stall-Dry and peat moss thrown right onto straw bedding. The chickens do all the hard work of mixing everything up, and there is no odor at all.
Makes wonderful compost too.  ;)

Oh, and really good ventilation also helps with dryness. In my experience chickens seem to do the best with lots of fresh air.  -40C is common for my area in winter (quite literally a deep freezer, haha) and I keep wide open vents and cracked windows year round. Just have to be careful there are no drafts in the roosting area and all is well.  :)

Brice Acton:
Thanks for all the help! I am happy I joined the ABC, everyone seems so willing to offer suggestions and advice.

DeWayne Edgin:
I grew up on a dairy farm and now we raise beef cattle. We would always try to lime our fields. It helps the soil and keeps out slugs from eating your plants. It should not be bad for a compost pile. Thats just my opion.

Mike Gilbert:
In our area the soil is tested for ph levels to determine whether it needs lime (too acid) or not.  On our soil lime must be added to raise alfalfa.   But if the soil were already alkaline you would not want to add lime, as that would make it unsuitable for raising crops.

Brice Acton:
We have 1500 acres of grain and 300 acres of alfalfa and we spread about 2 tons of lime on every acre about every 5 years based on the soil tests which are done annually. I was just unsure if the lime would be harmful to the lungs of my birds. I have used it to help breakdown compost piles. Lime is a great resource but can be very dangerous. I have seen it dry a persons skin and it can destroy lungs but only if it is dehydrated, hydrated lime isn't as bad.

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