First Saturday Lime Review

First Saturday Lime popped onto my radar a few months ago, thanks to an aggressive Instagram marketing campaign. I swear, every time I logged onto Instagram I saw an ad for First Saturday Lime! Eventually, curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to give it a try.

Since I had recently stripped all the straw out of my coop, and switched to compressed pine pellets for the deep litter method for bedding in my coop, I thought now would be the perfect time to give First Saturday Lime a try, and of course share my thoughts with you!

Before we get into the review, as always, this isn’t a sponsored post. I bought First Saturday Lime with my own money. My thoughts and recommendations are always my own, and given under careful consideration. If you’d like to try First Saturday Lime in your own coop, you can use the coupon code homeinflx to save $2.00

What Is First Saturday Lime?
Is First Saturday Lime Safe For Chickens?
Why Use A Product Like First Saturday Lime In Your Chicken Coop?
How Is First Saturday Lime Different Than Other Lime Products?
How To Use First Saturday Lime In Your Chicken Coop
What Happens If First Saturday Lime Gets Wet?
How Much Does First Saturday Lime Cost?
First Saturday Lime Review, Is It Worth It?

5 lb bag of First Saturday Lime sitting on grass outdoors, a wooden crate and bag of pine bedding are in the background.

What Is First Saturday Lime?

The main ingredient of First Saturday Lime is a derivative of limestone – precipitated calcium carbonate. Essentially, this product is made by dropping a specific type of limestone into water. You may also know calcium carbonate as chalk.

Calcium carbonate is commonly used as an antacid and has many commercial applications ranging from whitewash to cleaning industrial smokestacks. The company adds in some amount of citric acid – another insect repellent.

Calcium carbonate works because it is a desiccant.

A desiccant, when applied directly to insects, pulls the water out of their bodies and effectively dries them out. If you are familiar with diatomaceous earth, and how that product fatally dehydrates pests, you’ll understand how lime is similar. The added citric acid seems to add a pleasant smell and likely additional insect defense.

Is First Saturday Lime Safe For Chickens?

The company claims that First Saturday Lime is safe for animals of any size to touch or have near a feeding source when used as directed. Since I have used First Saturday Lime I have not noticed any reactions or signs of discomfort within my flock.

I have read in First Saturday Lime user product reviews, that it seems like First Saturday Lime affects the appearance of duck feathers, and that ducks who have had a lot of exposure to First Saturday Lime look disheveled. These observations do make sense, the product is essentially a chalky powder and could be affecting the amount of naturally occurring oil that ducks maintain on their feathers for waterproofing purposes. While First Saturday Lime does appear to be safe for use around ducks, I make sure not to sprinkle it in their nesting area in the coop, and I haven’t had any issues with the quality of my ducks plumage, or suspect they are lacking a healthy amount of oil.

Why Use A Product Like First Saturday Lime In Your Chicken Coop?

I am a firm believer that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is especially true when preventative care is so much easier and less toxic than treatment options. Chickens are great at hiding signs of illness or discomfort, so you might miss the fact that they’re under attack by biting lice, mites or flies until you have an out of control problem.

I have previously used diatomaceous earth to control pests within my coop. Diatomaceous Earth (or DE) is the fossilized remains of tiny, aquatic organisms called diatoms. These remains are made of silica. Diatomaceous earth is an organic and effective pest control, but the silica can be harmful to delicate lung tissue and an eye irritant. I have asthma and always take precautions in my coop and wear a N95 mask if I am cleaning or stirring up a lot of dust in my coop, but I couldn’t help but wonder about my chickens airways and eyes, they were after all literally rolling around it during their daily dust baths.

First Saturday Lime says on their website that the product will repel all of these problematic pests:

Ants
Fleas
Ticks
Lice
Mites
Aphid
Small hive beetles
Mosquitoes in water
and more

How Is First Saturday Lime Different Than Other Lime Products?

Generally when people talk about lime they are talking about, barn lime or hydrated lime.

Barn Lime (also referred to as ag lime or dairy lime) is made up of crushed limestone, or calcium carbonate (basically chalk). Barn lime is safe and approved for organic situations, but it contains many impurities which weaken its pest controlling ability.

Barn lime is not harmful to you or your chickens, unlike its cousin hydrated lime. Hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide) on the other hand, becomes caustic when it is wet and may cause serious burns to you or your livestocks skin, in addition to possible eye damage. Hydrated Lime typically is used for making mortar and concrete, and usually isn’t used in the home or farm setting.

First Saturday Lime is different. They took hydrated lime and, with a patent pending process, made it insoluble, which means it does not react with moisture creating the caustic reaction. The end result is a strong and effective insect repellant and bacteria control, that is safe enough for humans and animals to touch.

How To Use First Saturday Lime In Your Chicken Coop

First Saturday Lime offers many uses for chickens, from controlling moss growth and algae in water pans to getting healthier, harder eggs. First Saturday Lime suggests using it in your flock’s dust bath area, as it makes a great dust bath for your chickens, and I agree my chickens seem to love it! It can even be used to whitewash the inside of the chicken coop to repel insects.

What Happens If First Saturday Lime Gets Wet?

First Saturday Lime is labeled as insoluble meaning it dries back out and is again effective. Check the area for displacement once a month (like the first Saturday of the month!) and reapply if necessary.

How Much Does First Saturday Lime Cost?

As far as coop additives go, First Saturday Lime isn’t the cheapest, but I feel like the benefits are worth the additional cost. I feel good about using First Saturday Lime around my family and my flock, it’s a simple non-toxic way to ensure my coop doesn’t develop pest issues.

The pricing of First Saturday Lime is simple. As of writing this article a 5 Pound costs $19.99, if you subscribe to monthly shipments you will get a discount and the price is $15.99. A one time purchase of a 20 Pound will run you $29.99, or $23.99 if you subscribe.

It is worth noting that you can cancel your subscription at any time!