DE verses sweet pdz which is better?

[thewobsers]

I want to control flies, bugs, pests in the coop and run for the chickens and control odor (we keep a deep littler method with pine shavings and so far not too smelly, it gets turned everyother day and kept dry.)
We are just starting out first timers, some of the chicks are almost 2 months old and the jap bantams are younger, about 1 month old.
i have been told by TSC that Sweet PDZ works great for moisture, odor and bugs and is safer than DE food grade.
Has anyone had any experience with these to compare?
Thanks.

 

[jackiedon]

What I understand is they are different. Specklehen can probably explain this better. DE is dried shells and is an agent that when insect and worms eat it , DE dehydrates the insect/worms and they die.

Sweet PDZ is kinda like lime, it's a powder that absorbs moisture and leaves a pleasant scent.

I maybe wrong but this is my understanding.

jackie

 

[thewobsers]

thanks jackiedon, you mentioned speckedhen might know, how could i ask her?
thanks/

 

[speckledhen]

I'm here! They are really different agents. DE is drying, absorbs moisture, will kill soft-bodied insects naturally, can be put in feed (food grade DE only!) to kill weevils. PDZ absorbs ammonia, is a natural product, but doesn't kill bugs and cant be put in as a feed additive.

 

[thewobsers]

ok,
THanks so very much for your wisdom speckled hen;

now, where to find the stuff.

 

[needmorechickens!]

They are both nice to have. They are really for different purposes....

I sprinkle pdz over the straw bedding in my coop about every 2 weeks.
I sprinkle DE on my chickens food, my dog food, and put in on their backs, and put it in their dusting box about once a week.

To me it seems more cost effective to use the pdz in large areas and the DE for smaller things.

It's ok if the chickens peck at the Pdz, but you don't want to purposely get it in their food. They don't continue to eat it.

Anyway good luck!
~Rebecca

 

[Jenski]

thewobsers, how many chix do you have? Here in TN we are really having to work at controlling flies right now, and I have aggressively added flytapes everywhere (outside coop/run, and one in the peak of the covered run roof where the girls can't reach). I have been changing those things DAILY, they are filling up so fast ~ nasty but they work.

I use deep litter method, but I clean out my coop every day with a cat litter scoop and whisk broom ~ keeps flies out of there. I also police up the run with the scoop/whisk and an old bucket; it breaks the cycle of coccidia so my girls don't get sick.

I am able to do this, though, because I have a small suburban flock. Don't know how it would work with a large group!

Hope that helps. Good luck! There are some really great, experienced and helpful folks on this forum; use them!


Jen in TN

 

[thewobsers]

we have 24 chickens. 20 are 3 months old today, the japenese bantams are 2 at 2 months and 2 at 5 weeks.
i use an old metal leaf rake and stir the pine shavings everyother day in the coop... should i cat scoop too? its an 8x8 coop.?
there are lots of flies here also... although the chicks eat many but there are still lots...
They are still on medicated feed so would the DE be too much to add ?
Our family are all falling in love with these dear chickens, they have provided us with such joy and wonder in the short time they have been with us thus far... my children really enjoy them.
who knew?????