Sweet PDZ?

[OHhappychicks]

Is it all called sweet pdz or just pdz? I saw it at our local tsc the other day and just glanced at it. I only recall it saying pdz on the bag. Is there a difference?

 

[schoenherr]

All I can find is Diatomaceous Earth. Is this the same thing?

 

[nab58]

Is it all called sweet pdz or just pdz?  I saw it at our local tsc the other day and just glanced at it.  I only recall it saying pdz on the bag.  Is there a difference?

The brand name is Sweet PDZ. I've never seen anything called just PDZ.

 

[nab58]

All I can find is Diatomaceous Earth.  Is this the same thing?

No, diatomaceous earth is something different.

 

[schoenherr]

If all I can find is diatomaceous earth will it work? If not, why can I not find Sweet PDZ?

 

[Bama Rambler]

Our TSC carries it and it's called Sweet PDZ. It's also called Stall Refresher. It's in the aisle with the horse stuff.

I've been using it exclusively on our 6'x8' coop floor for the last 22 weeks and it's great! I have it about 1½" deep and scoop it weekly. We have 23 birds and it handles them well.

Sweet PDZ is Zeolite and DE is diatomaceous earth. Zeolite is an ammonia scavenger and that's what makes Sweet PDZ work so well.

DE isn't an ammonia scavenger so while it would dry the droppings, the ammonia odor will remain.

You can go to the Sweet PDZ website and find places to buy it.

The ideal situation is to mix a little food grade DE with the Sweet PDZ. That way you get the pesticide aspects of the DE along with the dessicant and ammonia scavenging aspects of the Sweet PDZ.

You don't want pool filter DE. It's processed completely different from food grade DE.

 

[schoenherr]

Thank you so much for informational lead. I did find Sweet PDZ at Runnings. It is a Farm type store. They had it all, Sweet PDZ, DE,and Stall Dry. On line all I found was places that I could order from and they wanted $40-50 dollars for shipping. I could drive 28 miles for less.

 

[Susan49]

This stuff sounds like a miracle! I used wood chips/shavings in the summer when we had a big dry pile, but it was heavy and time consuming to muck out. Now that it's winter on the we(s)t coast, I've switched to straw as our chip pile is all wet. But I've learned straw is not at all absorbent, and because the girls love to hunt and peck around in it, they make such a mess out of their feed and water. Plus they rummage around under the roosts, stirring up all the poop and making a bigger mess.

So, is Sweet PDZ just the brand name for zeolite? What I'm asking is, can I just buy a bag of zeolite and get the same thing?

Those who use PDZ, it sounds like you don't actually muck out the coop, but rather just scoop out the poop from the PDZ? I have 48 hens, so is there a tool for that that's bigger than a kitty litter scoop? That might take a while lol!

I like the idea of a permanent layer of sand, then the PDZ on top or mixed with it. If I do that can I eliminate the straw/wood chips altogether? I don't have poop trays under my roosts, though am trying to figure out a way to do that. Bit of a challenge with the design of the coop though.

Great thread, it was just the info I was looking for!

 

[smhoekzema]

Has anyone in Australia found anything like this? Where can I buy it?

 

[aart]

Has anyone in Australia found anything like this? Where can I buy it?

Ask somewhere that carries horse supplies, it's a 'stall freshener'.
Sweet PDZ (brand name) is actually the mineral zeolite.
Maybe knowing these things will help you find something comparable?
Good Luck!