Poorly chicken

[little chickadee]

Hi - we've just got 4 chickens and an eglu cube and have heard about using garlic powder/ bokashi to help neutralise the chickeny smell! It's not bad and we live in the countryside anyway but would like to try something.

Please could people who have tried garlic powder let me know if it has any effect on the taste of the eggs? Also, I've seen that the garlic powder really stinks. Is this from a way away or just close to?

Anyone tried Bokashi? Is it worth the price?

I'd really appreciate any advice.

Thanks

Edited October 27, 2007 by Guest

[Snowy]

Hi, I've not tried bokashi so no help there I'm afraid.

The garlic only smells when you open the tub and get close! I add it to their feed every other day or so (they have a dish of leftover s"Ooops, word censored!"s every evening that I add it to). It does seem to stop their poo smelling and it definitely doesn't affect the taste of the eggs. You do still get a chickeny smell though!

[Egluntyne]

Ditto to what Snowy says. Bokashi does help too, so use whichever is more convenient for you. Be sure not to use garlic salt.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I use garlic powder and bokashi. The garlic does smell when you've got the container open but it's perfectly bearable. I put bokashi in their food (helps with digestion, I believe) and a wee sprinkle in their poo tray too (supposed to keep the smell down). The eggs certainly don't taste of garlic & the chickens don't smell of it either . I buy bokashi for my bokashi bin & just use a bit for the hens - I bought it at http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/shop/foundoption.lasso?-session=shopper:52292158190cf39281YOY1A7AF0D . I haven't had it long enough to know how long it'll last - I think they were the cheapest but can't really remember.

[sparkleeeeee]

i use equestrian garlic granules, i just mix it with their layers pellets. it does make the run smell of garlic abit but thats better than chicken poo smell. i havent had any eggs from the girls I have at the moment so i cant tell you if it affects the eggs.

[Guest]

when we first got our girls their poohs were a quite smelly but after a few days of having garlic powder in their mash, they weren't nearly so pongy. You're not going to get rid of the smell entirely but it certainly reduces it a lot.

 

I can even stick my head in the coop and scoop out the poop so it can't be that bad, I have the weakest stomach in world!

 

Not noticed garlicy eggs at all but then we eat a lot of garlic People we've given them to haven't commented though and my mum is always telling me I stink of garlic but she hasn't commented about the eggs!

[Kathy C]

I also use equestrian garlic granules and put 5 in their glug each time I refresh it. We have used it for many months now and it works a treat, and no garlic-y eggs.

 

We started using bokashi fairly recently (about 3 months) and have found that the poo is much more firm now. We add it along with grit to the "treat grub" they have each evening (a cock-tail of tinned corn, sprouts/brocolli/mixed veg, and grapes). They love to eat it and will often be pecking away at the bokashi while we prepare the veg.

[Madchook]

I have ordered some bokashi, only because I compost the poo's in the house and it said it makes them less acid- not sure whether I shouldhave been composting it or not without???) . I have to say I have had no problems with my 2 (now 3) smelling as yet, or flies. Maybe that was because I only had the 2 though, or I have been lucky!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

because I compost the poo's in the house

 

Can't work out if you mean that you bring the poos into your own house to compost them or that you put poos from the "house" ie eglu in the compost (or do you compost the poos "created" inside your house !!)

[The Pearsons]

A clove of garlic in the glug is good as well - except that Toast fishes the cloves out of the water and runs around with it in her beak - all the others in hot pursuit!

 

Helen in Hume