# That Smell



## Goatdad (Feb 25, 2009)

I have an 8'x10' wood house with a dirt floor for my goats. I put fresh straw, shavings or chips from my limb shredder every 2-3 days. I rake it out and try to keep it generally clean and I still have a strong urine smell in there all the time. It also gets pretty good ventilation. Is there anything I can sprinkle or spray on the dirt to neutralize the ammonia before I lay down the new bedding? I have tried using baking soda with limited and costly results. I have to use about 6 boxes at $2.00 a box. I wouldn't mind the cost as much if it worked better. I know I can't be the only person that has this problem so I figure someone must have a better solution.

Thanks, Darin


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

Sodium Bicarbonate is the same thing as Baking soada & our feed store sell's it in 50 pound bags I think it was a bout $10.00 the last time I had to buy a bag.

All my goats out building/houses have wood floors but in the summer & warm months I don't put any bedding in there at all(unless it's a rainy day where there in there more) because it's like they look for that straw, etc. to go potty on instead of going out on the ground or grass.
If I leave the wood floors bare they don't go potty in there, might be something to try if it's warm enough where you are that they don't need any bedding now.


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## Laura Workman (May 10, 2002)

You can use deep bedding. After it builds up to a solid four or five inches deep, you have to add bedding rarely, and there is seldom an ammonia smell. When there is, it just means you have to add more bedding. Clean the stall thoroughly once or twice a year.


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## Goat Servant (Oct 26, 2007)

There is also some stuff called Sweet PDZ to sprinkle on the ground before you add bedding. It neutralizes that urine smell pretty well.


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## Goatdad (Feb 25, 2009)

Thanks for the advice. I love the deep bedding idea but I think my wife would think it was unhealthy. I'm definitely going to try and get a 50lb bag of Sodium Bicarbonate.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Skip the baking soda and get some lime - make sure you tell the feed store what you want to use it for so you get the right kind. Put some lime down and work it into the soil, then add the bedding on top - should neutralize the odor.


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## Rockytopsis (Dec 29, 2007)

manygoatsnmore said:


> Skip the baking soda and get some lime - make sure you tell the feed store what you want to use it for so you get the right kind. Put some lime down and work it into the soil, then add the bedding on top - should neutralize the odor.


Dito on the lime.


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## BethW (May 3, 2007)

Tritto on the lime Make sure it's agricultural lime/garden lime NOT hydrated/slake lime, which is very caustic.


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## deafgoatlady (Sep 5, 2007)

I use the hydrated lime for the goats and it is fine with them.. The vet told me to use hydrated lime for the animals.. It works great.. It does help to get rid of smell..


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Hydrated lime generates heat when it gets wet. It's usually in a fine powder form that is harmful to breath

Pellitized lime or "agricultural" lime is safer


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## paintedpastures (Sep 24, 2008)

Another vote for barn lime here. We tell our feed store that we need coarse barn lime and they get us the right thing. How we do it, scrape out the stall well....sprinkle on a generous layer of the lime...let it sit for a while, maybe 30 min or and hour and then add the fresh bedding. We use it in our horse & goat stalls with great results.


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## powderhooves (May 11, 2008)

I use a product called Stall Dry. It works great. When I clean the barn I sprinkle it on the ground...in between I sprinkle it over the straw. When the ground gets muddy in the spring I also sprinkle it on their pathways to dry things up a bit.


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Hydrated lime generates heat when it gets wet. It's usually in a fine powder form that is harmful to breath
> 
> Pellitized lime or "agricultural" lime is safer


Safer.....Yes. But not nearly as effective. Hydrated lime, Hot lime, Masonry lime same stuff different names. Will neutralize the acids in the urine and eliminate the smell but so will Ag lime. 

But it will also....
Kill bacteria, viruses, and other nasties.
Make the environment poor for molds and mill dew. 
Can limit lice and mites and kill their eggs.

The hot lime does this by causing a spike in PH. It is very effective. But a few precautions are in order. Proper application is needed.

Remove critter from stall.
Remove all manure and old bedding.
Sprinkle your lime liberally. Get it in the corners too.
Sweep the lime around to get good coverage.
Let it sit for 30 min.
Sweep the excess up and out of the stall. 
Replace bedding.
Finally the critter can return.



Don't put it into the stall with the critter, Ever.
Use a bunch, but sweep out the excess.
Put new bedding before the critter returns.


Your barn will smell fresh and clean ether way. But with hot lime it will be 'clean" too. This is important.


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## Goatdad (Feb 25, 2009)

Thanks for the advice. I should have thought about the lime. I used it in horse stalls all through high school but that was a long time ago. Paid for my first car mucking stalls and spreading that stuff. Thanks again, Darin


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## DairyGoatSlave (Dec 27, 2008)

iv found the dirt kind of holds the smell...i would maybe switch the flooring, get some of thoes horse mats and use that on the floor  but thats just my idea


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## Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians (May 6, 2002)

Mats or not, something has to soak up the urine, and right now your dirt is. Put shavings down first to soak up the urine, then top with straw or? Also keep them out of their barns as much as possible. We are already into early summer here, so after milking, you go out the out door into the pasture, not into the barn. I also use stall dry, mostly I throw out coffee cans of it before I have customers out 

Ventilation is huge, you never want to be in your barn sweating in your jacket or taking your jacket off during cold weather, you barn is too tight...and ammonia smell down where your goats breath all the time can cause chemical pnemonia.

Do use your lime carefully, sweep away the excess like Stan said. Dairy does dig holes to china to kid in, and wet amonia lime on tender vuvlas discharging or teats is a horrific site.

Also beware of the use of wood ashes in the barn also....hard wood ash and moisture even if it's urine makes lye.

You also may have to dig out your soil a couple inches each year and replace with sand...the soil is like gold for your garden. And you may have to increase the size of your inside area, or add a leanto to the back to keep the goats out of the inside area as much as possible....obviously I am not from the north  Vicki


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## Goatdad (Feb 25, 2009)

Thanks Vicki, I think once winter is over it won't be as much of a problem. They all really don't like sleeping indoors unless it's raining. I am in the process of designing them a new house and it will still be the same size with an 8'x8' overhang outside the door. Not that they will use it much. They would rather hang out under the trees. Interesting about the wood ask. I never knew that. I learn something new every time I come here.
Does anyone use ventilation fans in their goat houses? I have a high volume exchange fan that I could run out of a vent in the roof and put a couple of vents at floor level to get really good ventilation in there.


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## deetu (Dec 19, 2004)

Backfourty said:


> If I leave the wood floors bare they don't go potty in there, might be something to try if it's warm enough where you are that they don't need any bedding now.


Mine go on the wooden resting benches so wooden floors wouldn't matter to them.

I use a pelleted wood product for stalls instead of shavings. It is the best thing I have ever used and there is no smell. If you put a piece of paper towel down and step on it with one foot, there is no dampness, even in the heavy bedding of winter. And cleaning out in the spring isn't as horrific as it used to be. I will put down one bag in a 10x20 area; then put a couple of feed scoops spread around once a week or so. Works great.


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## Wildwood (Jul 2, 2007)

deetu said:


> Mine go on the wooden resting benches so wooden floors wouldn't matter to them.
> 
> I use a pelleted wood product for stalls instead of shavings. It is the best thing I have ever used and there is no smell. If you put a piece of paper towel down and step on it with one foot, there is no dampness, even in the heavy bedding of winter. And cleaning out in the spring isn't as horrific as it used to be. I will put down one bag in a 10x20 area; then put a couple of feed scoops spread around once a week or so. Works great.


That sounds great. Where would I find that sort of thing?


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## deetu (Dec 19, 2004)

I get mine where they sell horse supplies but I've seen a simular product in Tractor Supply. The one I use is called Woody Pet but there are others.


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## Wildwood (Jul 2, 2007)

Thanks! I'm going to try and find some.


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## Goatdad (Feb 25, 2009)

I saw bedding pellets listed on the Tractor Supply index but the only thing they had listed on the page was shavings. I need to make a run up to our local (65 mi each way) Tractor Supply next weekend anyway. I'm sure they will have them in the store. I think that might be the answer. I'll bet they compost really well. Hopefully faster then straw.


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## Willowynd (Mar 27, 2005)

TSC has Equine pine...they used to have woody pet too, but not anymore. I use the same thing for puppy litter boxes and cat boxes.


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## Goatdad (Feb 25, 2009)

Is Equine Pine a pellet bedding?


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## MB (Apr 20, 2007)

The shavings compost MUCH faster than straw. We switched the chickens to shavings and love it.


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## deetu (Dec 19, 2004)

Goatdad said:


> I saw bedding pellets listed on the Tractor Supply index but the only thing they had listed on the page was shavings. I need to make a run up to our local (65 mi each way) Tractor Supply next weekend anyway. I'm sure they will have them in the store. I think that might be the answer. I'll bet they compost really well. Hopefully faster then straw.


It composts so well that it's practically dirt when you are shoveling it out  It really does work well.

I put this picture on another post and realized you can see the bedding well so I'm putting it here too. You can see the pellets mixed in that haven't broken down yet but mostly, you can see that the bedding is dry.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

What is the soil like? If it isn't coarse sand or gravel I would replace it with at least 6" of porous soil.


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## woodsman (Dec 8, 2008)

Deep litter self composts, keeps the barn warm and as to the smell I don't think that goats mind it


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## MB (Apr 20, 2007)

We cleaned out the goat stalls this weekend and I don't know if I will do the deep litter (straw) method again. It wasn't smelly work but it was WORK.


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