Is it OK that chicks are eating sweet PDZ?!

[ChickNanny13]

Better to question than to regret not asking.

I put PDZ in a empty Garlic Salt container & shake, like salting meat. If you're mixing into the dirt then shavings on top, they're just scratching & pecking, should be fine.

Why are you putting the crumbles in the blender? Unless they are bantams, Chick Starter as is, is fine. Careful on the amount of treats you're feeding, even if organic. My girls were "underweight", was to to cut back on the treats (veggies & fruits) as it "neutralizes" the nutrients in the feed. When I stopped completely, they gained and now are more their breed standard. I only give 1/8 c of Scratch/Boss mix at closing now, sometimes mealworms. It's so hard not to "treat" them

 

[Coop's Coop]

Thanks for the info. We have two silkies and the breeder told me to mash their crumbles in the blender so the other two chicks ( SS and a Buff Brahma) also get it mashed since they are in the same brooder box. The breeder said it's easier for the silkies to eat that way when they are little. I imagine at some point I'll stop mashing it. Forgot to ask the breeder when we got them. They are 4.5 weeks( silkies) and 5.5 weeks ( big girls). They get two tablespoons of treats every other day divided between the four birds. Is that too much treats? They eat their mash constantly and go through tons of starter food. Can't believe how much they eat.

 

[Molpet]

in a 10x 10' horse stall they use 4 cups of PDZ
somewhere I read it was ok for chooks to eat and someone used it as chick grit.

 

[Coop's Coop]

in a 10x 10' horse stall they use 4 cups of PDZ
somewhere I read it was ok for chooks to eat and someone used it as chick grit.

Oh geez I added too much PDZ!!! I did mix it in with the loose dirt. Should I take some of that dirt/pdz mixture out?

 

[Coop's Coop]

in a 10x 10' horse stall they use 4 cups of PDZ
somewhere I read it was ok for chooks to eat and someone used it as chick grit.

I do remember seeing that people use just pdz to cover their poop trays so I assumed that pdz is just exposed and not under chips etc so the birds could see it. The chicks seem fine today so I’m less worried but I feel like an idiot for adding too much to their run. Newbie mistake!

 

[Molpet]

no. I would leave it in...

Oh geez I added too much PDZ!!! I did mix it in with the loose dirt. Should I take some of that dirt/pdz mixture out?

 

[Molpet]

I do remember seeing that people use just pdz to cover their poop trays so I assumed that pdz is just exposed and not under chips etc so the birds could see it. The chicks seem fine today so I’m less worried but I feel like an idiot for adding too much to their run. Newbie mistake!

do not feel bad, no harm done... took me quite a bit of searching to find how much to use when I first got it last year

 

[Coop's Coop]

do not feel bad, no harm done... took me quite a bit of searching to find how much to use when I first got it last year

Thanks for the support! I’ve been reading endlessly on BYC and have found it so helpful.

 

[coach723]

From the PDZ website:

"Chickens - For more info and application directions check out our poultry page.

Chickens have a lot of benefits, but they are by no means the neatest of barnyard animals. In fact their coops, hen houses and pens can get really stinky. Sweet PDZ is the answer to your smelly, dropping filled coops. Sprinkle Sweet PDZ liberally where the birds make their mess. Reapply regularly on the most frequently used roosting areas, and you’ll be well on your way to a healthy, safe and pleasant smelling chicken house. Sweet PDZ also makes it much easier to remove the droppings when cleaning out the chicken’s house. As an added benefit Granular Sweet PDZ can be safely eaten by the birds and used by them to grind their food. Clean smelling chickens = healthy chickens."
Here's the poultry page: http://www.sweetpdz.com/chick.html

Looks like it's fine.
I've never used it, but have never had an issue with odor at all, I use deep litter method in my covered run, and have droppings boards that get cleaned daily under roosts. Haven't found it necessary to use any additives.

 

[Coop's Coop]

From the PDZ website:

"Chickens - For more info and application directions check out our poultry page.

Chickens have a lot of benefits, but they are by no means the neatest of barnyard animals. In fact their coops, hen houses and pens can get really stinky. Sweet PDZ is the answer to your smelly, dropping filled coops. Sprinkle Sweet PDZ liberally where the birds make their mess. Reapply regularly on the most frequently used roosting areas, and you’ll be well on your way to a healthy, safe and pleasant smelling chicken house. Sweet PDZ also makes it much easier to remove the droppings when cleaning out the chicken’s house. As an added benefit Granular Sweet PDZ can be safely eaten by the birds and used by them to grind their food. Clean smelling chickens = healthy chickens."
Here's the poultry page: http://www.sweetpdz.com/chick.html

Looks like it's fine.
I've never used it, but have never had an issue with odor at all, I use deep litter method in my covered run, and have droppings boards that get cleaned daily under roosts. Haven't found it necessary to use any additives.

Thanks for posting. I wanted to use it because we are secret urban backyard chicken keepers and want to keep any hint of odor at bay. I'll be a neat freak about their coop!