Is sweet PDZ considered a safe and organic chicken farming option?

[sigmachigirl]

Hi there, we are new to urban chickening and are trying to keep things as healthy, safe and organic as possible for our girls. Our coop isn't huge, but I am finding the shavings are gross to try and clean. I had read from someone else they use sweet pdz, and it looks to me as though it is acceptable and could work as an organic alternative to put down in the base of the coop instead of the shavings, then I could just do a daily scoop, and toss. What do you guys think?

 

[MoonShadows]

From their website:

http://www.sweetpdz.com/faqs.html

Is Sweet PDZ safe?
Yes, Sweet PDZ is all natural, non-toxic and non hazardous.

Elsewhere on their site
Sweet PDZ is an all-natural,
non-hazardous and non-toxic mineral.

Will Sweet PDZ harm the environment?
No, recycle all-natural Sweet PDZ in pastures and gardens as a fertilizer and soil amendment. Sweet PDZ is pH neutral.


From www.shop.2farm.com (shop.2farm.com/pdf/msds/A0001060.pd)

MSDS - SWEET PDZ
[FONT=Verdana,Verdana][FONT=Verdana,Verdana]Issued January 8, 2004 [/FONT][/FONT]
Section 1. Product Identification
[FONT=Verdana,Verdana][FONT=Verdana,Verdana]Trade Name: Sweet PDZ
Chemical Name: Potassium-calcium-sodium-aluminosilicate
Synonyms: Clinoptilolite
Distributed by Pestell Minerals & Ingredients, New Hamburg, ON Canada
24 Hour Emergency Telephone (Canutec): 613-996-6666 [/FONT][/FONT]
Section 2. Health Hazard Data
[FONT=Verdana,Verdana][FONT=Verdana,Verdana]Hazardous Ingredients: May contain 0.07 - 0.10% Free Silica
Routes of Entry: Inhalation
Health Hazards (Acute and Chronic): Prolonged exposure to respirable silica may cause health risks
Signs of Exposure: None [/FONT][/FONT]
Section 3. First Aid Measures
[FONT=Verdana,Verdana][FONT=Verdana,Verdana]Swallowing: If large quantities ingested, contact physician for permission to induce vomiting
Skin: None
Inhalation: Remove to fresh air
Eye Contact: Immediate flush eyes with water for at least 15 minutes
Note to Physician: If this product has been treated with a material of a hazardous nature, identify material and treat accordingly. [/FONT][/FONT]
Section 4. Physical and Chemical Characteristics
[FONT=Verdana,Verdana][FONT=Verdana,Verdana]Appearance and Odor: White, odorless
Boiling/Freezing Point: N/A
Melting Point: 1,800oF
Vapor Pressure/Density: N/A
Specific Gravity: 1.5 - 1.7
Solubility in Water/Evaporation Rate: N/A [/FONT][/FONT]
Section 5. Fire and Explosion Hazard
[FONT=Verdana,Verdana][FONT=Verdana,Verdana]Flashpoint (oF): N/A
LEL/UEL: N/A
Flammable Limits: N/A
Extinguishing Media: N/A
Unusual Fire and Explosion Hazards: None [/FONT][/FONT]
Section 6. Reactivity Data
[FONT=Verdana,Verdana][FONT=Verdana,Verdana]Stability: Product is stable
Conditions to Avoid: N/A
Incompatibility (Materials to Avoid): N/A
Hazardous Polymerization: None [/FONT][/FONT]
Section 7. Safe Handling/Use
[FONT=Verdana,Verdana][FONT=Verdana,Verdana]It is recommended to ensure compliance with various state or federal regulations that any significant quantities spilled in surface waters be reported to appropriate state or federal officials. Spill should be cleaned up in a manner that does not generate dust and disposed of in a landfill. If raw material has been treated with toxic or hazardous substances materials should be disposed of accordingly. Avoid breathing nuisance dust. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Verdana][FONT=Verdana,Verdana]Section 8. Exposure Controls/Measures [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Verdana][FONT=Verdana,Verdana]Respiratory Protection: Wear OSHA approved dust respirators to avoid nuisance dust when permissible exposure limit might be exceeded.
Local Exhaust: Exhaust ventilation is recommended for operations where the permissible exposure limit might be exceeded.
Gloves: Not necessary
Eye Protection: Safety glasses or goggles
Other Protective Equipment: N/A [/FONT][/FONT]
Section 9. Ecological Considerations
[FONT=Verdana,Verdana][FONT=Verdana,Verdana]Waterfowl Toxicity: None known
Aquatic Toxicity: None known
Food Chain Concentration Potential: None expected
Biochemical Oxygen Demand: None. Product is not biodegradable
Atmospheric: Contains no ozone depleting substances [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Verdana][FONT=Verdana,Verdana]Disclaimer [/FONT][/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana,Verdana][FONT=Verdana,Verdana]This information contained herein is accurate to the best of our knowledge. We do not suggest or guarantee that any hazards listed herein are the only ones which exist. Pestell Minerals & Ingredients makes no warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, concerning the safe use of this material in your process or combination with any other substances. Effects can be aggravated by other materials and/or this material may aggravate or add to the effects of other materials. This material may be released from gas, liquid or solid materials made directly or indirectly from it. User has the sole responsibility to determine the suitability of the materials for any use and the manner of use contemplated. User must meet all applicable safety and health standard [/FONT][/FONT]

 

[DanasChicks]

You might inquire about feed sacks from other's who have chickens that you know or post a wanted add on CL or here on BYC. Most people just throw them away. There is nothing better in life than reusing goods. Post some pictures of you chickens and your coop. I bet they are lovely.

 

[DanasChicks]

Hi Sigmachigirl,

I don't know what PDF is and although we have transitioned from a small coop to a large shed to house our chickens, we still use the coop when raising the youngsters. We use sand and dirt in the coop floor and straw in the nesting boxes for laying. Since the hens (and roos) kick the straw around, it always ends up on the coop floor. We rake out the big stuff with a small pint sized rake and have even used a metal kitty litter scoop. Then we hose out the rest. The debris falls onto the ground and other than raking up the straw and any large debris to compost, we're done.

Our shed has built in wooden trays under the roosting bars to catch the poo. We used to use sand only in the trays and scoop out the poo as you would a kitty litter box. It worked great, but was a bit labor intensive for me. (I dislike scooping a small kitty box) Nowadays we lay our empty feed sacks (which are a cloth material) over the trays.. that's it. When it's time to clean the coop, it's just a matter of grabbing both ends of the feed sack (of course making sure to fold it inward not to loose any droppings...lol) lifting it out and shaking it off in the compost pile. The shed floor although wired with hardware cloth has a small layer of sand and dirt. The hens (and roos) still kick the straw out of their nesting boxes onto the floor, but again, rake, compost, hose down with water (if needed) and replace the dirty feed sacks with clean ones... done!

We did a lot of research prior to building our shed/coop. Our small red barn coop cost us four times the price of our shed. It has been so worthwhile and might I mention, my husband had never built anything in his life before. It cost us just over a hundred dollars to build and he had it completed in a weekend. It looks very nice and it serves many uses. We have removable nesting boxes on one side, our geese lay their eggs and sleep in the bottom of the other side, and our chickens roost on two levels at the top. If we ever sell our home, the roosting bars, trays and nesting boxes can all be removed and the new owner has a nice shed to store outdoor items.

I know I didn't answer your specific question, so I hope you find another BYC member to answer it for you. I just thought I would give you some alternative ideas. Take care.

 

[SunnySkies]

PDZ is safe, but I have no idea if it is organic or not. I use it myself, since I deep litter method my coops. I sprinkle it on the poop to help dry it up a bit.

 

[sigmachigirl]

Oh man!!! My phone autocorrected PDZ to PDF... And I don't think I can edit the title... How annoying!!!!! Thank you for the feedback!! Will see if anyone else responds. My girls are still little and not using the roosting bars yet, but I like the idea of just pulling things out and having it be fresh. Our coop is 4x4, I'm wondering if there is a easier way... Right now I have a piece of cardboard under the shavings so I could pull out the whole thing and shake. I had wanted vinyl flooring, but was having a hard time finding small pieces. I would love to see your coop. post a pic if you like. We spent considerably more than we'd intended... :-(. We used cedar though, because it rains a lot in Washington and I hoped it would deter bugs.

 

[SunnySkies]

I looked at the bag, and it does not say it is organic. It is probably not tested or sourced organically. Unless you are planning to be certified organic, this is one thing I wouldn't worry about myself.

 

[tymimo]

My understanding is that the active ingredient in PDZ is zeolite.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeolite

Not sure what the requirements are for a product to be qualified as "organic" but the zeolite itself is a naturally occurring mineral, although it is possible (likely?) that chemicals are used in the extraction and refinement process.

 

[SunnySkies]

Some zeolite is synthetic as well. Not sure if Sweet PDZ is one or not though. Zeolites have such a wide range of applications that I really would not worry about whether or not it's "organic" myself.

Organic certification is a pest. I was going to do it for my crops, but instead, being certified natural is much easier and way cheaper.

 

[sigmachigirl]

I'm just trying to eat as cleanly and naturally as possible. . So it's mainly for my own health reasons. . Thank you for the feedback. I will do a bit more research and probably buy some.