About to give up on droppings shelf

[Ol Grey Mare]

1st of all Phred is adorable. Glad to read that the change in depth of pdz has helped.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

I use the plastic top of a long narrow plastic bin as my poop board. It was broken on one corner and the hardware store let me take it which worked out for me because I had to shorten it a bit to fit under the roosts anyway.

Anyway, it's simplicity itself to scrape in the morning with 2 CHEAP plastic scrapers one pushing the poop onto the other. Periodically I pull the whole thing out and hose it down.

I don't use anything on the poop board. Sometimes I scoop up only poo. Sometimes I'm scraping up about 1-to-1 poo and pine shavings. It goes directly onto my compost pile. Pine is so NOT a problem in the compost. It's already in small pieces and, mixed with the high-nitrogen droppings, it probably disappears within 96 hours. I wouldn't put PDZ or diatomaceous earth or anything else that didn't come up from the ground or eat what comes up from the ground in my compost EVER. And I don't see any need for such products when I collect the poo regularly.

Sweetpdz is a brand name for pure zeolite. Common soil amendment, naturally occurring mineral. Direct from the ground in fact! Good stuff for gardens, checked it out.

 

[blackdog043]

Increasing the PDZ to sand ratio will help you a lot, as you have found out. I use straight PDZ about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. I started with 1/2 inch layer, now I'm down to about a 1/4 inch.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

How deep is the PDZ? Mine is about 1/2" thick and we have had steady rain for the last week well you know that too. No problems scooping the poop with a kitty litter scoop.

Now if I could find a place at the Lake of the Ozarks that would rent to 7 old farts riding bikes on Memorial weekend I'd be set for a visit.

JT

You're a cyclist?

Me too!

Gary

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I use the plastic top of a long narrow plastic bin as my poop board. It was broken on one corner and the hardware store let me take it which worked out for me because I had to shorten it a bit to fit under the roosts anyway.

Anyway, it's simplicity itself to scrape in the morning with 2 CHEAP plastic scrapers one pushing the poop onto the other. Periodically I pull the whole thing out and hose it down.

I don't use anything on the poop board. Sometimes I scoop up only poo. Some days the girls have been partying in there and I'm scraping up about 1-to-1 poo and pine shavings. It goes directly onto my compost pile every morning or, at most, every other day. Pine is so NOT a problem in the compost. It's already in small pieces and, mixed with the high-nitrogen droppings, it probably disappears within 96 hours. I wouldn't put PDZ or diatomaceous earth or anything else that didn't come up from the ground or eat what comes up from the ground in my compost EVER. And I don't see any need for such products or their expense when I collect the poo regularly.

Perhaps an understanding of what pdz is would help....it is zeolite.....
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeolite

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Interesting info on zeolite.

 

[IamRainey]

Maybe it's not noxious but I still can't see why it's necessary or worth paying for. I'll still pass but, nevertheless, thanks for the info.

 

[jthornton]

You're a cyclist?

Me too!

Gary

Well yes, I mountain bike, road bike and Goldwing...

JT

 

[Deb T]

Perhaps rain is getting in. I just recently moved my coop and had the vents open during a freeze with ice followed by a downpour of rain. Lasted 4 or 5 days. The inside of my coop was wet. Poop board turned into mud. Water in nest boxes and on floor of coop. My coop has never gotten wet on the inside prior to the move. I closed the vents cleaned the coop. Replaced sand and bedding. The next time it rained they were dry. So maybe the way the rain is falling or blowing is getting inside through the vents. Try closing vents during rain or new placement/ orientation of the coop. May work for you too.

 

[srodems]

I have tried it all. The poop trays I did with sweet pdz. Seemed more hassle than help so I took them out. Now I am back at the liter method with shavings. I keep a separate compost bin for my shavings separate from my house scraps. You can use it in your garden you just have to let it sit form 9-11 months before using it. Pine does fix nitrogen, but it will also release it when it breaks down.

I have a lot of hens which is one reason why the trays just didn't work for us.