Pigeon-Talk banner

Looking for odor solution - da nesting poop bomb

4K views 28 replies 15 participants last post by  maryjane 
#1 ·
Hi all :)

I've been meaning to ask this question for awhile and always seem to think of it when I'm away from the computer :p

Hope and Pidge are on a pretty regular cycle of laying eggs - sitting - having 3 or 4 days without eggs each month. They share the sitting responsibility pretty well. Except when they both get it in their heads that it's "their" turn - then it's just funny! Each one trying to shove the other off the eggs... hehhee...

But - getting to my question... since they both sit and it's pretty much the majority of the month - they both have the notorious "nesting poop stink bomb" all the time! Their cage is in the living room and sometimes the smell is just overwhelming. I line the bottom of the cage with newspaper.

Of course I change the newspaper often - a few times a day due to poops. But I'm wondering is there something I can add to their food that will help neutralize the odor? Or is there something I should use instead of newspaper but is easy to clean up after?

I searched the forums, but I gotta admit - it would take all day to sort through the posts that come up when searching on poop oder:eek:

In the meantime - Pidge & Hope say "hi everyone!"
 
See less See more
#2 ·
The only thing i got, is since they are not feeding young, cut back on the protein, since they are not raising young they have little need for a lot. And since it sounds like they are house pigeons, they do not fly like a loft bird would. Odor is some what unavoidable, BUT Protien, and Minerals that they taken in that are not needed are passed through the body and eliminated. Which could cause extra odor. JMHO Dave
 
#4 ·
I think you're up a creek without a paddle, on this one Dez.:eek::)
 
#12 ·
or keep a box of baking soda like the ones made for the refrigerator by the cage. Also if your cage has those built catch tray.. try putting a thing layer of cat litter especially the ones with odor neutralizer. It would keep your cage smelling good and makes the poop dry quicker.
 
#11 ·
poops



nesting parents do accumulate large poops,.i do not know the environment in which they are nesting,.but my pairs meet at the water hole and poop on newspaper under the bowl,..i generally don,t notice a smell,but i just change the paper regular and life is good,..sincerely james waller:)
 
#14 ·
baking soda(bicarb)neutrelises odours,i use it on iggys litter pan!its versatile and can be mixed into paste or sprinkled around,i buy a baking soda called"clean and natural"which is also biodegradable,it can be used to clean items(mix with water to make paste),stuff can be soaked in water/soda mix and it can also be loosley sprinkled and swept/vacumed later on
 
#15 ·
Hi all :)

But I'm wondering is there something I can add to their food that will help neutralize the odor?
I have given my hens who do the stinky "mother loads" a 1/2 of a human grade alfalfa tablet, and within a day the stink in the poop was gone. It has chlorophyl in it which helps with odor. I was just giving them the alfalfa for extra calcium, what a blessing it was!

I don't give them too much or give it too often as I think it would make them more alkaline then acidic, as acidic is a better environment in the crop to keep out bad bacteria.
 
#16 ·
Hi Dez.........I'm having the same problem with my Jackie's poop. I have the type of cage that has the catch tray underneath. What I have done is purchased a bag of the cedar shaving hampster bedding and put some in the catch tray. Really does neutralize the odor. Also since these giant poops occur only 2/3 times a day, whenever I see one I take it out of the cage with a tissue and flush it.

Oh the joys of having house pij's.
 
#17 ·
Louise...cedar is very bad for birds and small animals such as Hamsters, Rats, Mice. etc.
 
#19 ·
Very true, which is unfortunate as it is such a nice odor controller and makes it easy to clean droppings. I used to have a rat rescue and one thing you learn right away is how bad the cedar (or pretty much any shavings, especially when used indoors) is on respiratory systems. The difference between using shavings and newspapers was amazing. Which is a bummer since it smells so nice!

This is a good thread; I have the same problem with Bern and Buddy, who are laying on fake eggs in my room. I change the papers whenever they poop but the smell!!!!!:eek:
 
#18 ·
Thanks everyone for the suggestions! It’s comforting to know that I’m not the only one with this delightful little problem. Honestly - compared to other issues our members have I’m thankful this is the only issue I do have.

Ever since our Mr. Weiderman got a real bad respetory infection last year we’ve had an air purifier running - so at least we have that going for us already.

I’ll give the baking soda in a box a try - maybe I can figure a way to rig it outside the cage. Not sure if they would try to inhale the soda & if that would cause any problems:confused: They are both very curious and have to “inspect” everything that goes into their “house”… LOL.

I did a Google search on Yucca though & they do have animal grade yucca supplements available - even some with Alpha mixed in… I’m going to do more research before ordering something but those seem the most promising - thanks for clueing me in about both of them!

Treesa - what size alpha tabs do you use (I know you said ½ tab but not sure what size tab you start with)? And how often do you give it to them? That seems to be the quickest solution - at least for the moment.

I’ll let everyone know if I find out anything more - thanks again!! (And Dave thanks you too!)
 
#21 ·
Cedar and pine, especially, are the worst that I know of. Any other shavings can be better, but still contain dust, which when used inside or in a closed environment are inhaled and can cause the respiratory problems. Shredded/torn up newspapers work very well for small animals of all kinds, and my pigeons even use shredded papers to nest with indoors. :p Small animals such as rats, and of course birds, have pretty delicate respiratory systems, so anything aggravating can be harmful (even air fresheners, hairspray, potpourri oils, etc.).
 
#22 ·
Well that's nice! I've been using, I think they're pine. I thought they were safe. Makes the nestboxes snugger for winter. But I didn't know they could cause them harm.
 
#23 ·
This is so interesting as I'm having the problem with the smelly bombs. I find the smell is overpowering when I open the shed so I can't imagine how you cope with it indoors. :eek:

I just laid lino flooring in the shed as although I used to put newspaper down, the wooden floor underneath would soak up the poops and once they started dropping bombs, I couldn't get rid of the odour.
It's great to be able to wipe them up easily now but I was intending putting wood shavings down on top of the lino to make it softer, especially for a couple of them that can't fly as they tend to fall off the perches at times. Is this not a good idea then?

Janet
 
#25 ·
I found a cheap secret. I give them acv or ordinary vinegar 3 times a week and their poops don't stink as much. Obviously good ventilation helps, too. If you can still smell the stench in 10 minutes, then you have poor ventilation.
 
#29 ·
Yes, outside with plenty of ventilation, the shavings are okay to use. I have a little plastic kiddie pool that I just dump some of the shavings in, and sift around with a rake so a lot of the dust comes off. Then I mist it finely with a squirt bottle right before I put it in nest boxes so the rest of the dust isn't all swirling around at once. It just isn't good to use indoors, or in a loft with no windows or something like that. ;) At least, I haven't had any respiratory issues with my birds at all, knock on wood.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top