Is it OK that chicks are eating sweet PDZ?!

[Wyorp Rock]

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!

I agree, I would not take it out. I think it may help keep the odor down, but chicken poop can get stinky, especially in wet weather. Having a dry/covered run will also be helpful. Periodically add some dry leaves, pine needles, etc. to your run.

Keeping odors at bay in an urban setting may help your neighbors not detect the chickens, but once they start laying, singing their egg song and making chicken noises, your nearest neighbors may get a clue

PDZ is great in the coop on poop boards and in poop catchers - it absorbs smells and makes it easy to scoop out the poop in a couple of minutes.

I hope all goes well for you.

 

[ChickNanny13]

You may get lucky & no egg song Had 5 Blue Wyandottes, they NEVER sang so I had to walk out back several times a day

2x Wyorp Rock

 

[Coop's Coop]

Thanks so much. Glad I didn’t completely mess it up. I plan on chasing down the landscapers/ gardeners in the neighborhood to get leaves to add to the run( we have only palm trees). Luckily the coop is on the side of the house with no neighbors and 6’ concrete walls so I don’t have hunk neighbors will hear them at all. I’ve never heard an egg song! Excited to hear that!

 

[Coop's Coop]

Here’s their coop and run. I plan on adding a gate and aviary netting over the end of the yard so they can free range. I’m going to put in some sod and herbs.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What a cute coop

Seeing if there are leaves/clippings from the neighbors is a good idea, the only thing I would be concerned about, would be to ask if any chemicals, fertilizers, etc. are used on the plant material you gather.

I hope all goes well for you - enjoy that first song and egg too - it never get old (at least for me).

 

[mun5]

Is it organic? Non-toxic? Chemical-free? All natural? If it is, consumption won’t hurt.

PDZ is zeolite, which is naturally occurring like asbestos. Some zeolites are known to cause cancer https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9216804/

 

[saysfaa]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6515299/

"Even though there are several synthetic or natural occurring species of zeolites, the most widespread and studied is the naturally occurring zeolite clinoptilolite (ZC). ZC is an excellent detoxifying, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. As a result, it is been used in many industrial applications ranging from environmental remediation to oral applications/supplementation in vivo in humans as food supplements or medical devices."

 

[mun5]

zeolite clinoptilolite (ZC)

But there's no evidence that PDZ is ZC. Erionite which is a type of zeolite is also known to cause cancer https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/erionite

 

[saysfaa]

"Erionite is no longer mined or marketed for commercial purposes. Although other natural zeolites have many commercial uses (pet litter, soil conditioners, animal feed, waste- water treatment, gas absorbents, etc.) because of their unique properties,..." https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/erionite#:~:text=Erionite is no longer mined or marketed for,very few data are available specifically for erionite.

"According to reports of 2001, the total consumption of zeolites was 3.5 million tons of which 18% came from their natural resources and the rest from synthetics. More than forty naturally occurring zeolites were reported by different research groups, and clinoptilolite, erionite, chabazite, heulandite, mordenite, stilbit and philipsite are the most well-known. The most common for agricultural applications is clinoptilolite since it has high absorption, cation exchange, catalysis and dehydration capacities...." https://www.researchgate.net/public...Natural_Zeolite_Clinoptilolite_in_Agriculture

Why would the company ignore the most common type, that has well-established safety to use an uncommon one that is no longer mined or marketed for commercial uses and is known for its toxicity?

 

[NewHennyPennymomma]

They have grit and use it.

My brooder has it in it and the chicks seek it out its a very FINE dust non toxic item, but even under thick layers of pine shavings they LOOK FOR it, want to consume it...my chicks arrived YESTERDAY morning, 1 chick was dying, 2 died withing 2 hours of getting them home, and #4 died this afternoon... I'm too worried about the PDZ...but they ARE eating chick starter and drinking too, AND pooping...but after I lost #4 This afternoon I'm VERY CONCERNED!!!