yuck

[dixie_belle]

We moved from Texas to Kentucky a year ago. In Texas the stalls had concrete floors with stall mats over them. Decided to do compacted dirt floors with wood shavings here. When the boys are stalled, I check on them every two hours during the day. They poop, I scoop. Nothing stays in the stalls for any length of time. Overnight, I check on them last thing before I go to bed, and first thing in the morning. Again, I scoop both dry and wet. Here's the rub. It's winter. Even with shavings, some of the wet seeps into the dirt and it's not drying like it did in the summer. There is a slight smell. It's not bad because I don't let things stay in there long, but it is present. When I used the stall mats, I could strip the stalls, scrub with bleach/water, and hose it all out. Obviously I can't do that now. Is there anything I can put down or spray on the dirt to get rid of the urine smell? Or should I just leave it and get fresh sand or dirt delivered each spring? Any ideas? I'd prefer not to go back to stall mats because I actually like the dirt floors.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

They do make products like Sweet-PDZ, or even granulated lime, but you are already doing much more than most people

It is, after all, a barn!

 

[Margo_C-T]

Try Sweet PDZ; your local feed store(s)should have it. It is a tiny white granule whose purpose is to kill the urine odor. You just sprinkle it over the wet spots. I have compacted dirt(here, it's an adobe clay)floors w/ mats over MOST of the area; shaving over the one 4X6' area left unmatted. Works pretty well here-though being where the humidity is higher might affect how well?

Margo

 

[Marty]

I feel your pain. Not all of my stalls are matted but during winter, OMG no matter how much I scoop, there is an odor at times. Its mostly caused by my Quarter Horse who drinks gallons.

I have found for my super pee-ers, I use the pellet bedding and that has been a life saver. I also keep a 50 pound sack of lime stored in a garbage can and use a scoop with it to neutralize odor. Its ghastly to work with so be sure your horses are out of the barn when you sprinkle it in the stinky places. I also keep my barn doors open as much as I can for air flow.

 

[ruffian]

Barns smell because most bedding doesn't absorb the moisture, it just covers it until it sinks into the ground. I switched to Paper Shavings a few months ago, and am thrilled with the results. The product is chopped and shredded new Yellow Book overruns in 35# bags. I am way to too far, so I hope the monitors don't call this a "Sale" post, but if you can find a Paper Shavings distributor in your area, it will solve a lot of your problems. This of it this way -- Supposed you spill a glass of water, which would you grab first to soak it up, a handfull of pencils (ie: Pine Shavings) or a telephone book? You can PM me for more info if you like.

 

[RhineStone]

We use a product called Stall Dry.

 

[chandab]

I'd take barn smell, anyday... I have litter box smell, and I do try to keep on top of it, but in winter the barn cats think that the stalls are great (their own indoor litter box, since the "outdoor" is under 2' of snow). [They don't use the barn at all in summer, but once the snow hits...

]

 

[GrandmaC]

I have an acquaintance who uses dry stall

http://www.drystall.com/

and another friend who uses some wood pellets, both in her stalls and her rabbitry and never can small anything, will get you the name of it later today. And it really adsorbs urine. You can hardly tell she has rabbits in her rabbitry and a little goes a long way.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I use a product called Barn dri from martin Limestone. It is great to sweeten the dirt and also is a great anti slip agent for winter on any surface. I put down wood pellets in the pee holes and I use flaked pine shavings on top. Sweet barn, no smell and great for absorbancy. I refresh the pellets twice a week and the pine flakes every other day, but I pick out the stalls daily.

works great for me.

 

[disneyhorse]

I have my pony in a box stall that is mats on concrete; I do sprinkle Sweet PDZ powder on the mats and in the cracks between the mats in the areas where the pee spots are. It helps immensely. The other products such as Stall Dry work well, also, but I just get a bag of the PDZ and it works perfectly.

I use pelleted bedding on top of that and in the pee areas, and then regular shavings in the bulk of the stall (it is 16x20')

Andrea

 

[Tenltraining]

I have used sweet pdz too and it worked really well. I think in part its just the dampness too from winter and most of us close up the doors on the colder days too so it doesnt dry out as well even though your cleaning it very well as you said. Your horses are fortunate to have such a caring owner!

I sometimes will strip a stall and mix a bleach and water mixture and spray over the wet spots and then let it air dry while the horse is turned out for the day. Make sure it has good ventilation while your air drying it.

Then put some sweet pdz and clean shavings in and that will help for a bit.

I have also used lime powder too and I think it does help. However it seemed to irritate my lungs a bit so I cant use it anymore. I have heard at the racetracks that some horses were having some irritations to the lining of the lungs from ground limestone but I dont know personally if this is true or not? Anyone else ever hear of this?

We have packed ground limestone in our aisle and have for years and Ive not noticed any problems for the horses but in warm weather we do sprinkle it with the hose every morning to keep it looking nice and keep dust down well. I think that helps a bit too. This ground limestone doesnt seem to bother me at all so thats good too.

 

[GrandmaC]

The product I was talking about earlier is barn dri (or dry)

locally here a 40 lb bag is $4.25 and by the pallet $3.50 a bag

She told me 40 lbs lightly lines approx 10 to 12 of her 24 " x 30'"cages and lasts 3 days.

Her stalls she will use a bag and as it expands with the urine she just shovels a stot here and a spot there each day.

 

[GrullaBlue]

Another thing worth checking out is DE.... diatomacious earth. I use it in my barn, my cat litter boxes, my chicken coop and my garden. I used to use Sweet PDZ, but this stuff is much cheaper, considering the bag size, and a little goes a long way. You can google it.... "food grade" diatomacious earth.

Angie

 

[little lady]

I'd take barn smell, anyday... I have litter box smell, and I do try to keep on top of it, but in winter the barn cats think that the stalls are great (their own indoor litter box, since the "outdoor" is under 2' of snow). [They don't use the barn at all in summer, but once the snow hits...

]

I'm glad I am not the only one with this problem! It smells worse than any horse mess!

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

I've use PDZ and lime in the past both work well. Too help neutralize pee odor - vinegar works well too and is less caustic than bleach.