[violet]

As mentioned in another post I love my ducks and the poo is not a problem other than the smell... the grass is sour smelling...what can I "clean" the grass with ... any ideas?

[poultrygeist]

Is it just covered in duck poo or is it constantly wet and muddy ?

[compostqueen]

I pick hen poo off the grass every day, a faff I know but I run a B & B so have to keep tidy etc.  It's better for the girls too.  The ones which can't be picked    get washed away with the hose pipe or watering can.  I pick up the remnants of their greens etc every day too while I'm at it.  If the lawn starts looking yak my old man will start moaning  :roll: and anyway I need to keep it all clean lest the inspector calls, which he did last week incidentally.  I was chuffed as he looked at the hens and their run area etc and he never said a word.  I was expecting to be interrogated about eggs for breakfast etc but nope  

[Bodger]

Its just part of the joy of keeping ducks I'm afraid.

[poultrygeist]

He was probably contemplating asking for a half dozen  

To which you could reply, that'll be £1 please  

Rob

[poultrygeist]

You can try sectioning off a part and liming, watering in, then keep it sectioned off for a few days. But the poo does seem to provide a joyous aroma that has to be shared with the neighbourhood  :roll:

Our worst smell comes from emptying the pool. After a few weeks of this, I had to lime and dig over an area. It was almost instantly de-odourised.

Rob  

[compostqueen]

ooh I got some lime in the shed.  Dolomite it is. Will that do or is it sommat else entirely?

[poultrygeist]

I bought a box of garden lime from B&Q. I have a big bag of hydrated lime from my building work but thought I'd best not use that  :shock:

It's fine granules that I just worked into the soil and watered well in.

Best to keep them off it for a few days while it dissolves into the soil.

Rob

[violet]

Thank you for information....The hen poo I pick up most days...no prob, on the whole it is solid and doesn't realy smell.  The ducks, as I am sure you duck lovers know are a different matter, it is very squity stuff!!! I just wanted to check that the smell was ok :oops: it's  a sort of sour smell rather than any recognisable poo smell I have known before!

Now tell me about the lime stuff...what do I do with it, how much do I use, is it dangerous to the hens or rabbits?

[poultrygeist]

As far as I remember, the advice is to throw a handful over about a square metre, water/fork it in if you can, but wait a few days for it to dissolve into the soil before letting animals on.
I don't know what it would do to them or even if it's harmful to some and not others.

Obviously the hens might see it as food. I would imagine rabbits would be more discerning.

Rob

[Vember]

I'm probably a bit extreme but I do wash my main bit of grass down every night  :oops:  Even if it's raining  :oops:

I have this thing about them eating where they've pooped, I wouldn't like to eat my tea in the bathroom  

[poultrygeist]

'tis true that they can pick up worms but over a large area, they should be ok. I try to imagine how things are in the wild and compare with that.

Well done for being so dedicated

Rob

[violet]

I think I will just keep watering it into the grass...I know what you mean about eating out of the toilet!  and yes I know in the wild it different!

TANGET>>>>>Told my child to make sure they washed their hands after using toilet......he did exactly that....washed his hands in the TOILET!!! :roll:

[Vember]

Washing down for me just gives me an excuse to be outside with them

On a "normal " night I can be outside "putting to bed" for an hour & a half, Just love watching them

Then I have to keep nipping in to check the forum as well so that always adds more time on to the evening routine  

Loving the hands down the loo thing Children hey  

[FCG]

Hah, i spend a lot of time in my garden. I wish they would * off when i am digging!

Gardening lime - should i do this to my run before i try to re-seed it?