Ammonia

[Guest Denny]

Why is a section of my loft smelling of ammonia?  

 

I clean my loft every other day but cannot understand why only this week it has started to smell like ammonia.

 

Can anyone suggest why?  What have I done or not done?

[pjc]

has the weather changed and damp got into the loft?

[DAVIDL]

  could be a number of things, have you more birds in the section than normal? have you altered the ventilation? have you not used floor dressing maybe ? also is any of the birds not in good health and have watery droppings etc?

[Guest frank dooman]

i would check the ventilation

[Guest Denny]

Floor dressing is easibed - there is adequate ventilation and the birds appear to be in god health - will check for water ingress in the morning, but the loft has been dry previously even with the heacvy rains this summer.

 

Birds appear healthy and dropping are firm - so its a bit of a mystery.  

 

Thank you for your help

 

[DAVIDL]

 

 

  know it might sound stupid but has a cat urinated against the door maybe, or somewhere where the smell could come in...........just a thought ?  :-/

[Guest frank dooman]

ive never used easybed for deep litter i would look at that 1st if its even taking the dampness out of the air at this time of the year along with the droppings it will smell try lifting the deep litter for a while and if it disapears thats your problem

[aye ready]

is easibed heavy shavings or chopped straw

[Guest IB]

Have had same problem for years with just one section, in one corner, and that's the reason I've made yet another change in my deep litter. I had always suspected that it was bacteria producing the ammonia but didn't know how, and was never able to find out for sure the root cause until I happened by chance upon the answer on a poultry website.

 

These bacteria need carbon (plentiful, from the droppings) oxygen (plentiful, from the air) and water (a minimum amount and if they get it they start producing this gas, which is harmful to the birds). The website gave that minimum water content as 43% , and an easy way to tell if what was on the floor = that percentage: pick the litter up and squeeze it, if it crumbles to dust, its below 43% moisture content, if it 'clumps' and stays that way, its above 43% and you'll get ammonia.

 

My latest 'experiment' is with hemcore, which specifically states it traps ammonia. Not sure how it does that, but giving it a try.

 

 

 

[OLDYELLOW]

i sprinkle my deep litter with bianco so it remains dry , your litter is damp and not getting air into it hence the ammonia  

[OLDYELLOW]

Have had same problem for years with just one section, in one corner, and that's the reason I've made yet another change in my deep litter. I had always suspected that it was bacteria producing the ammonia but didn't know how, and was never able to find out for sure the root cause until I happened by chance upon the answer on a poultry website.

 

These bacteria need carbon (plentiful, from the droppings) oxygen (plentiful, from the air) and water (a minimum amount and if they get it they start producing this gas, which is harmful to the birds). The website gave that minimum water content as 43% , and an easy way to tell if what was on the floor = that percentage: pick the litter up and squeeze it, if it crumbles to dust, its below 43% moisture content, if it 'clumps' and stays that way, its above 43% and you'll get ammonia.

 

My latest 'experiment' is with hemcore, which specifically states it traps ammonia. Not sure how it does that, but giving it a try.

 

 

 

if gets too heavy you will have the ammonia hence i sprinkle bianco on top and keep turning it / moving it about  

[aye ready]

i sprinkle my deep litter with bianco so it remains dry , your litter is damp and not getting air into it hence the ammonia  

 

i agree o/y better to scrape out at the weekends only than have them inhaling this

[OLDYELLOW]

 

i agree o/y better to scrape out at the weekends only than have them inhaling this

 

im scraping once a day at the moment but as soon as snow falls they'll be back on the deep litter  

[Guest IB]

 

if gets too heavy you will have the ammonia hence i sprinkle bianco on top and keep turning it / moving it about  

 

You probably remember you were the one that won me over to trying this, although it took me a while to source it and compare with easibed before taking the plunge; I turn mine over once a week; it lies on top of the original stalosan / dry dropping mix, 2/3 inches deep.

[OLDYELLOW]

 

You probably remember you were the one that won me over to trying this, although it took me a while to source it and compare with easibed before taking the plunge; I turn mine over once a week; it lies on top of the original stalosan / dry dropping mix, 2/3 inches deep.

 

im just giving my experience of hempcore i keep it dry

[blaz]

dampness that is the cause of the smell

[the dude]

IF YOUR LOFT IS DRY I WOULD SAY YOUR BIRDS HAD WET CANKER

[chickadee]

Get Stalosan F it neutralises amonia, we use it and it is great in our lofts and coops

Quote

Stalosan F Disinfectant powder is a very effective, and DEFRA recommended, dry disinfectant powder for use in the poultry house. Broad spectrum, destroys worm eggs, coccidial occysts, fly eggs and larvae. Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral. Highly absorbant and will help to reduce the ammonia smell created by the chicken's droppings.

 

Sprinkle generously throughout the (dry) poultry house particularly over litter etc.

 

[chickadee]

Another good product we use Barrier V1 Disinfectant

 

Quote

Barrier V1 Virucidal Disinfectant for dilution in the order 1:50. Ideal for use in footbaths as not affected by organic matter. Use to disinfect poultry and animal houses, keeps parasites away, including Red Mite and Poultry House Beetle.

 

 

Suitable for use in organic systems. Also ideal for use in professional kitchens or in food handling areas.

 

DEFRA approved preparation for the purposes of the Animal Health Act 1981 in respect of Diseases of Poultry Order, including Newcastles Disease, in the proportion of 1:50 parts water & General Orders in the proportion 1:40 parts water.Manufactured using only concentrated plant derivatives that are entirely non-toxic, even in concentrated form.

 

 

[blaz]

with the damp weather we are getting the floor or the walls are damp with pigeon poo on them .even scraped off it is still in the wood .that is where the ammonia smell is from.just my opinion on this.

[Guest frank dooman]

just a thought but you dont have a riggly tin roof do you?

[Guest Owen]

Hi Denny

this time of the year there is a lot of damp about and humidity levels can soar. This can be especially bad over night. I think you already know what you should check for. But humidity is very bad for pigeons and is often overlooked.

Good ventilation by itself is not enough. You also need to remove sources of humidity. Watch out for hedges, buildings and trees outside the loft. Also try to get sunshine into your loft by providing something like polycarbonate sheets to let it in. The loft will warm up best if it is facing the sun but if it is not you may have to consider puting Filon of Polycarbonate in the roof to get the sun in that way.

Pigeons will never achieve winning form in a damp or poorly ventilated loft. A tip for you. Go and have a look at the sort of lofts the best flyers in your area have. And when you do, it is almost worth taking a check list with you, so that you can observe the sort of facilities that they have, properly.  

[Guest peter4pm]

if you have floor grils what would be the best deep litter for underneath them?

[Guest bakes]

if you have floor grils what would be the best deep litter for underneath them?

 

i dont have grills but use the hempcore good litter or easybed both good floorlitter

 

all the best.

[blackdog]

if you have floor grils what would be the best deep litter for underneath them?

 

 

cat litter granuals