Agricultural lime vs hydrated lime

[chicknmania]

I have always heard that liming the floor is a good way to control parasites; worms, cocci, mites & lice. I've always heard that you should use hydrated lime. I've never done this, as we have no where else to put our chickens, and I've always heard that with lime (hydrated lime) you have to keep them off of it for a period of time or it will burn their feet. I just read about agricultural lime and was wondering how well it does to control parasites, and if anyone has had good, bad, or blah experiences with it?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I use Ag lime in the dust baths I make for chickens. I mix, some clean soil, fine sand, wood ashes, ag lime and a little DE.

Hydrated lime is what I mix with tuckpointing mortar to make it more flexible for older brick buildings when bricks were softer than they are today.

 

[chicknmania]

I use Ag lime in the dust baths I make for chickens. I mix, some clean soil, fine sand, wood ashes, ag lime and a little DE.

Hydrated lime is what I mix with tuckpointing mortar to make it more flexible for older brick buildings.

Ok, I can try the Ag lime, for it's drying properties if nothing else. Not that it's soaking wet in there, but it is an outside structure. What I've always heard though, is that it's hydrated lime that kills the bugs, but that you can't let the birds be on it for a period of time..and I don't know how long that is. We're having a crazy problem with Cocci that we've never had before.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Drying it out is the best option. You may have to completely clean out all the bedding, allow the floor to dry and then put in all new bedding. Have you found where the water/moisture is coming from?
Tracking in mud or debris from outside will reinfect the building. Keeping bedding bone dry is the best course of action preventing the coccidia oocysts from completing their life cycle.

 

[chicknmania]

OK, thanks, I'll try that, it might help, although I don't think we will ever be able to keep all moisture out of the building. It enters from more than one place, and it's a big structure.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Just start at one end and keep sealing off drips. Is it from the roof or walls?

 

[TattooedChicks]

I’ve had really good luck with the First Saturday Lime branded stuff for use in dust baths, bedding moisture, coop pest control and white washing for mites. It’s a lot gentler than hydrated lime but more effective than Ag lime like dolomite. Got rid of my camelback cricket problem like no other.

 

[aart]

I found this awhile ago as I was confused about the differences.
http://www.walterreeves.com/landscaping/lime-different-kinds/

 

[chicknmania]

I found this awhile ago as I was confused about the differences.
http://www.walterreeves.com/landscaping/lime-different-kinds/

so garden lime and agricultural lime are the same?

 

[chicknmania]

Just start at one end and keep sealing off drips. Is it from the roof or walls?

They live in a pole barn converted to coop, which is quite large. Even if we sealed every leak, it has a dirt floor through which naturally some moisture will migrate. Also, they free range, so of course they, and we, are going to be tracking in additional moisture. And Coccidia are everywhere, so everytime the birds go outside they are exposed. My purpose is not to attempt to eliminate, which I think is impossible in our situation, but just to try to exert some controls.