Heard a rumor about using leftover coffee grounds in the run, gave it a shot last week

I read online that it could help with bugs and smell, so I spread about two cups of used grounds from my morning pot around the run. Within a day, my four hens stopped scratching and dust bathing in that whole area, and they seemed kind of off. I mean, idk if it was the smell or what, but they avoided it like it was poison. I cleaned it all out after three days and they went right back to normal. Has anyone else had a weird reaction to something simple like that? I'm sticking to plain dirt from now on.

3 comments

3 Comments

theaward13d ago

My grandmother swore by sprinkling wood ash in her chicken yard. She said it kept the mites down and gave the birds grit. I tried it once and my whole flock puffed up and squawked at it for hours. They wouldn't go near the dust bath until the next rain washed it away. Some things just don't work for every group of birds.

tyler49213d ago

I mean, @theaward, maybe your birds were just having a weird day. It's just wood ash, right? Mine have never freaked out over it like that. They usually just scratch around in it after a bit. Could be they weren't used to the smell or something new in their spot. Idk, it doesn't seem like the kind of thing to cause a full on chicken meltdown. Sometimes animals just get spooked by the dumbest stuff for no real reason.

tara7454d ago

Two whole cups? That's a lot.