Girls Eating Sweet PDZ - Safe?!

[smalldog]

Hello All. I've been reading a lot lately on BYC on keeping the coop smells under control as well as how to deal with ants and flies. I live in central FL and we've been under heaps of rain lately. As a result, the coop & run have been an absolute mess. A good solution seems to be a combo use of Sweet PDZ & diatomaceous earth.

My order of diatomaceous earth arrives tomorrow. I plan on placing that in the cracks and crevices of the coop's "loft" (as I call it) where ants have been up lately to escape the wet ground, as well as in the nesting boxes. In the meantime, I have been able to buy Sweet PDZ locally and it has been helpful in keeping the smells under control. I have been working to muck out the coop also.

The concern I have is that my chickens are eating some of the Sweet PDZ. I keep reading that folks use the Sweet PDZ freely in their coops. The Sweet PDZ label states that it is non-toxic but it would make me feel much better to hear from folks on the BYC Forum that it's okay for the chickens to ingest it. Can anyone verify that their chickens also peck and eat at the Sweet PDZ and have no problems?

Also, any suggestions on where I should sprinkle the diatomaceous earth when it arrives?

Thanks to all.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I use dry stall which is almost the same thing I believe...or close to it...I've never had a problem with the hens scratching around in it and pecking at some....I sprinkle my DE and dry stall right on top on the woodshavings under the roosts and anyplace else I think a buggie might be....

 

[snugglepup]

You've got our rain?? GIVE IT BACK!!

LOL! I use PDZ in the horse stalls, in the dog runs, in the chicken house. Everywhere! Never had a problem, except sometimes if the wind blows up while I'm spreading it, I get to sneezing. It's pretty harmless stuff. Muuuuuch better than lime. And it works pretty good, too!

Seriously, give us back our rain!

 

[Chelly]

I've not had a problem. I've only been using it about a month, I sprinkled the coop FULL before the chicks went in and since I've sprinkled it around twice....
I need to find an online supplier
I bought my last lot from state line tack, two bags, and they both broke open in the mail, I got maybe a bag full after the post office had wrapped it back up - state line said they would send another bag, never have so I won't buy from them again!
Anyone have another online supplier?

 

[smalldog]

Tuffoldhen & Snugglepup, Thanks for your input; it really calms my worries! Snugglepup, will do my best to send some sprinkles your way.

 

[smalldog]

Hi Chelly - you must have been writing while I was writing my last post... thanks for your input, as well. It especially helps knowing your chickens have been around it even since they were chicks. I ordered my DE from gardenharvestsupply.com and was very pleased with them. A five or six pound bag including UPS shipping came to less than $21.00. They shipped promptly. They sell three different types of DE and I purchased the food grade kind. It was on sale when I ordered it last week. Hope this helps.

 

[SandraChick]

I haven't had a problem!


Now...for your second question of where to use DE?

1. in the coop bedding
2. in the laying boxes
3. on the chickens!
4. sprinkle in their favorite dust bathing areas
5. In their feed


I use it in combination with orange oil. All the wood is prayed with "orange guard".

Good luck
Sandra

 

[smalldog]

Thanks, SandraChick, I am using the DE everywhere but in their feed so I am off to a good start. Thanks for going over where you are using yours. It has been a great help with the insects, esp. the ants! Since I started using it in their coop their hasn't been a surviving ant around.

 

[seminolewind]

Chelly, if you're talkin about PDZ, go to any feed store, esp for horses. Karen

 

[Cuban Longtails]

I bought my DE at the local feed store, 50 lb bag for $18.00