Sweet PDZ - some good scientific info

[DBMW]

We're new to chickens (our chicks are now 8 days old) and, after the first 2 days of using paper towels, we are now using Sweet PDZ (Zeolite) for their bedding per the recommendations of so many folks on BYC.

After a moment of crisis (my own throat started to hurt), I feared that maybe the PDZ was not good for them. So I did some research. THe good news is that it appears to be good on all fronts:

1) Increases Omega 3 in the chickens (specific to broilers ..but assumably the same for hens): http://www.lipidworld.com/content/11/1/35

2) Improves Laying Hens health - specifically it a) improves food efficiency, b) improves nutrient utilization, c) and reduces mortality http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00071669708417973?journalCode=cbps20#preview

3) Improves compost when mixing PDZ (Zeolite) and Chicken droppings: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18248810

4) and, as everyone on BYC seems to know;->, it dramatically reduces ammonia / smells in the coop: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17215226

Needless to say, we'll continue using it and I'll look for other causes for my sore throat;->! Thought others might want to see some of these research reports as well

 

[Sonya9]

I use it now that the chicks have moved to their coop but i would not have used it in the brooder, we stuck with paper towels (was easier to roll up and toss paper towels once or twice a day as those chicks made a HUGE mess and there were only 3 of them). I would be afraid the dust could cause respiratory issues in tiny chicks. Maybe yours will be fine but if any start to have problems I would think about the PDZ as a possible cause.