Installing Indoor Cat Tree

[Sian]

We have just moved our Eglu after the winter, and the ground where the run has been is very 'sour' - and not a little smelly! We have turned over the soil with a fork and levelled the ground, but is there anything we can put down to reduce the smell and help the ground recover?

[Lesley-Jean]

Try some garden lime Sian

[Egluntyne]

My Eglus are on permanent bases and the hens rootle about in the area's around them.

 

The ground is really now just churned up mud and poo. (Very heavy clay soil)

 

Is it safe to put lime down to refresh the earth in these areas, and if so, how soon can the chickens play out on it again.

 

Ta muchly.

[Lesley]

We've always sprinkled lime while the girls were around, it doesn't harm them.

[Jaime]

My understanding is that you have to use Garden Lime the sort you would use on an allotment. There is another sort which is sometimes called quick lime and should be avoided as it can create a chemical burn on humans so may have the same effect on chickens.

Unfortunately I dont know what the difference really is - so cant advise further.

[Egluntyne]

I bought some garden lime, but when i got it home, I see that it is granulated.

 

Drat....I thought it would be powder.

 

I don't want the hens to gobble up granules so will use it elsewhere and try to get some powder....unless you think granules will be OK.

 

Please advise!!!

[Jaime]

I found this info...

 

Agricultural Lime or Garden Lime

Agricultural Lime or Garden Lime is made from pulverized limestone or chalk. As well as raising the pH it will provide calcium for the crops and trace nutrients. Some recent experiments are indicating our soils may well benefit from the addition of rock dust, adding trace nutrients to the soil. You can find more on this on the Organic UK web site

 

Dolomite Lime

Dolomite lime is similar to garden lime but contains a higher percentage of magnesium.

 

Quicklime and Slaked Lime

Quicklime is produced by burning rock limestone in kilns. It is highly caustic and cannot be applied directly to the soil. Quicklime reacts with water to produce slaked, or hydrated, lime, thus quicklime is spread around the land in heaps to absorb rain and form slaked lime, which is then spread on the soil. Their use is prohibited by the organic standards and while fast acting, the effect is short lived in comparison to garden lime.

 

If garden lime is pulverised limestone and chalk it shouldn't do your chooks any harm - and it would be a source of calcium - But i'm no scientist so I dont know!!

[Egluntyne]

Ta muchly Jaime.

[Guest]

My box suggests watering the lime in once you have sprinkled it. That might reduce the number of granules lying around. I use it regularly and haven't noticed them eating it though!

[Egluntyne]

Thanks Ginette.

[bellekatz]

I just use limestone flour that you can get from Horsey shops? I feed it to the tortoises for calcium and sprinkle it on the ground when the chickens run gets raked over.

[The Dogmother]

I also use it under the Aubiose and haven't noticed any problems with my chooks ingesting it. Just make sure that it's GARDEN lime rather than the caustic sort.

[Egluntyne]

When I opened the box, the granules were no bigger than coffee granules, so I sprinkled it around yesterday. it was just starting to rain so hopefully it should dissolve into the ground over night.

 

I got more in my mouth nose and eyes than on the ground!

 

Am still here to tell the tale.....as yet!

[Sian]

Thanks everyone - I'll get some garden lime at the weekend and hopefully have a sweeter smelling garden next week!