Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Maah]

for you that have horses,what is PDZ? is it the same as DE?

I don't have horses, but I'll answer anyways.

PDZ, or Sweet PDZ, is a stall refresher. It is safe to use with chickens. It helps remove moisture & odors, and a good option for the "poop deck" under the roost, in the coop. It helps control the "yuck" & is scoop-able like a cat litter and that is handy for daily maintenance. Just hang a kitty pooper scooper in the coop, and do a quick sift while collecting eggs. It comes in a granular or powder form. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/707861/sweet-pdz

DE, or Diatomaceous Earth, is pretty much a powder made from ground fossil/bone/remains of aquatic organisms. If it's the FOOD Grade DE, it is safe to use with chickens, and around other farm animals even people. It works like a pesticide... or rather a pest preventative by helping to control hard shelled pests... ie: ticks, lice, mites, ants, beetles, fleas, etc. And also helps prevent fly larvae & such from developing in manure, etc. Sprinkle it around the ground around the chicken run, in the coop, mix it in the dirt where the chickens dust bathe, or even sprinkle a bit in their feed to help control internal worms/parasites. DE should only be considered a "preventative assistant". It really isn't as effective if you already have a pest outbreak... mites, lice, worms, etc, in your flock. Be careful not to breathe it in... it's a very fine powder, & while essentially safe to consume, it's not good for your lungs.

 

[uchytil]

I don't have horses, but I'll answer anyways.

PDZ, or Sweet PDZ, is a stall refresher. It is safe to use with chickens. It helps remove moisture & odors, and a good option for the "poop deck" under the roost, in the coop. It helps control the "yuck" & is scoop-able like a cat litter and that is handy for daily maintenance. Just hang a kitty pooper scooper in the coop, and do a quick sift while collecting eggs. It comes in a granular or powder form. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/707861/sweet-pdz

DE, or Diatomaceous Earth, is pretty much a powder made from ground fossil/bone/remains of aquatic organisms. If it's the FOOD Grade DE, it is safe to use with chickens, and around other farm animals even people. It works like a pesticide... or rather a pest preventative by helping to control hard shelled pests... ie: ticks, lice, mites, ants, beetles, fleas, etc. And also helps prevent fly larvae & such from developing in manure, etc. Sprinkle it around the ground around the chicken run, in the coop, mix it in the dirt where the chickens dust bathe, or even sprinkle a bit in their feed to help control internal worms/parasites. DE should only be considered a "preventative assistant". It really isn't as effective if you already have a pest outbreak... mites, lice, worms, etc, in your flock. Be careful not to breathe it in... it's a very fine powder, & while essentially safe to consume, it's not good for your lungs.

I use PDZ (FF&H 50 pound bag lasts me a year, or more) in the rabbit hutches and goat houses. It's very common in horse stalls. Sometimes I toss some in the chicken coops. Absorbs ammonia. Great stuff.

I'm afraid it's only going to get worse for a lot of people.

Through attrition and new influx into the community, and town offices, this is pretty much the way of the world IMHO. Live it your way while you can!

 

[Amastacia]

I'm afraid it's only going to get worse for a lot of people.

you're probably right. really makes me consider becoming a hermit somewhere.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

At fowl Fest, is there birds for sale? Last show I went to I found none did sale

 

[SillyChicken]

you're probably right. really makes me consider becoming a hermit somewhere.

problem is............where? LOL!

 

[tntchix]

Neighborhood stable is busy emptying paddocks today and man are they in a hurry. Rushing them ponies outta there. Wonder what is going on? It's usually such a solid, organized venture...today is utter chaos.

 

[Amastacia]

problem is............where? LOL!

lol, that is the question i keep asking myself. somewhere without a lot of people, a real winter, but still able to have a decent veggie garden. oh, and decent internet (DH runs an IT company, kind of need the internet for that). not many places seem to fit that bill.

 

[SpidersHuman]

Hi you guys I have a kind of urgent question I went to Cs this year and the speaker said medicated chick feed could be fed to ducklings so here is my q. I've always fed nonmedicated to my mix flock (assorment of ducks including Muscovys and chickens) well today my mom brought me food and bought sunfresh medicated fee. I have no car here so would itbe best for me to just give them extra scratch grain till i can get to a feed store tomorrow or will they truly be ok eating the medicated feed. Id be heart broken if i killed my ducks the youngest one is 6 wks old if age makes any difference

 

[RaZ]

News from Lansing front lines in the war on backyard livestock....

Yesterday (9/16/14) was the first meeting of the newly formed Urban Livestock work group. It was basically a meeting to establish procedures and protocols. Of the 19 members of this panel it appears that only one (1) is actually an urban chicken keeper. The panel wants to keep the proceedings confidential but has decided that each meeting will consider whether or not to share information publicly. The next meeting of this group will be in early December of this year. There is also a second "technical" group for the same issue but I have no information on that.

At the commissioners meeting today, changes to the MAEAP programme were on the agenda. Language was added or changed to bring the MAEAP verification in line with the GAAMP changes of April. After a good deal of discussion regarding the Farmstead-A-Syst and the Livestock-A-Syst, the commissioners voted to accept the language as written even though the wording is imprecise and confusing. As one commissioner said, they can always go back and change it. They said the same thing with the GAAMP changes. So the outcome is that no one living in a Category 4 zone can even apply for MAEAP verification for the above mentioned systems. NOTE: that means even if livestock is approved by your local government you cannot apply for MAEAP verification. It also means that if you are currently verified (like me), you can not apply for re-verification. Yet another blow against the local farmer.

 

[Trefoil]

Hi you guys I have a kind of urgent question I went to Cs this year and the speaker said medicated chick feed could be fed to ducklings so here is my q. I've always fed nonmedicated to my mix flock (assorment of ducks including Muscovys and chickens) well today my mom brought me food and bought sunfresh medicated fee. I have no car here so would itbe best for me to just give them extra scratch grain till i can get to a feed store tomorrow or will they truly be ok eating the medicated feed. Id be heart broken if i killed my ducks the youngest one is 6 wks old if age makes any difference

I take it that your poultry are eating scratch and other stuff as well as the bagged feed? It shouldn't hurt them to have the medicated feed,either way.