Will we get Coop #5 right? Here we go!

[LikeTurkeys]

Trust me, it can't be as bad as raking straw out of 4 coops and replacing it every day in the rain.

You're right. I do that to but if you have 4 coops it's 4 times worse of course! Actually you mentioned sifting the poop boards, I just scrape mine so maybe I should look into that.

You're going to love it Valerie! From personal experience, please wear a dust mask when you clean the poop boards if you're going to use PDZ. That stuff is dusty and can give you issues.

Thanks for that advice. I wear one when I clean the coops now because I use FGDE under the straw. Well, almost always. In a hurry I've been known to just hold my breath.

I use a respirator when doing serious cleaning. Sorry that I need to ask this, but what do those abbreviations stand for?

 

[ValerieJ]

You're right. I do that to but if you have 4 coops it's 4 times worse of course! Actually you mentioned sifting the poop boards, I just scrape mine so maybe I should look into that.


I use a respirator when doing serious cleaning. Sorry that I need to ask this, but what do those abbreviations stand for?

I don't know what PDZ stands for, I just know it's used for keeping horse stalls smelling fresh. FGDE is food grade diatomaceous earth. I have used it for years as pest control, for ants, fleas, and now mites. There are MANY on this site who will say it doesn't work, but after 4 years of chicken keeping, with "lots of coops" I have not had mites yet. "They" will say I've been lucky. How can I know?

 

[aart]

I have used it for years as pest control, for ants, fleas, and now mites. There are MANY on this site who will say it doesn't work, but after 4 years of chicken keeping, with "lots of coops" I have not had mites yet. "They" will say I've been lucky. How can I know?

If you've been using it constantly all along and now have mites.......just sayin'
But anyway.....we don't need to back and forth that again.

I don't know what PDZ stands for, I just know it's used for keeping horse stalls smelling fresh.

You know never saw or looked for what the acronym PDZ means.
Just did some quick googling.....still can't find it...something something Zeolite?
Now I really want to know.....maybe I'll email the Sweet PDZ people.

I'm not sure if I'll write an article. There are already so many good ones. But, I do want to document it here, for my own record, and for advice.

Good to do your build in a thread, then maybe make an article when it's done.
Looking forward to seeing this progress.....you're gonna love it!
Would be cool to see pics of those 4 coops in your spoiler or part of the future article.

 

[ValerieJ]

If you've been using it constantly all along and now have mites.......just sayin'
But anyway.....we don't need to back and forth that again.


You know never saw or looked for what the acronym PDZ means.
Just did some quick googling.....still can't find it...something something Zeolite?
Now I really want to know.....maybe I'll email the Sweet PDZ people.

Good to do your build in a thread, then maybe make an article when it's done.
Looking forward to seeing this progress.....you're gonna love it!
Would be cool to see pics of those 4 coops in your spoiler or part of the future article.

LOL!!! I meant that I'm now using it for mites. I still don't have mites, and never have. And no, we don't need to talk about it. If I ever get mites, I know what to do and it wont be FGDE at that point.

We are already making our first change. DH had one wall up and I noticed the door to the run for me would be shorter than me. And I'll be going down stairs to get to the run. Nope. So he is raising it a foot.

 

[ValerieJ]

Two walls partially up. Door and window will be cut into the short side, and a door on the tall side. The gap at the bottom is how we are fixing the issue I had with the wall not being high enough. It is a foot higher now, and the bottom gap will be filled in, although we are talking about having some holes in it for low ventilation.

 

[TwoCrows]

Oh how egg-citing Valerie!!! You are going to love having such a big coop!! I will be following along!!

 

[ValerieJ]

Been raining...no visible work done, just a little inside the shop.

 

[EggWalrus]

I don't know what PDZ stands for, I just know it's used for keeping horse stalls smelling fresh. FGDE is food grade diatomaceous earth. I have used it for years as pest control, for ants, fleas, and now mites. There are MANY on this site who will say it doesn't work, but after 4 years of chicken keeping, with "lots of coops" I have not had mites yet. "They" will say I've been lucky. How can I know?

Simple. Quit using it until you see a mite. Then if you think it kills them, dust the place with a ton of DE and watch the bugs multiple on it. I used to believe that Bliss Ninny Hippy crap, but its never killed any bug I've ever seen, and I've even dumped it straight on them. Even caught bugs, and put them in a sealed container with DE in it and all they did was LIVE! . Anyone claiming DE works never had bugs to begin with.
But just like Morgellans, It's all in your head, but if it makes you feel better...

 

[ValerieJ]

Simple. Quit using it until you see a mite. Then if you think it kills them, dust the place with a ton of DE and watch the bugs multiple on it. I used to believe that Bliss Ninny Hippy crap, but its never killed any bug I've ever seen, and I've even dumped it straight on them. Even caught bugs, and put them in a sealed container with DE in it and all they did was LIVE! . Anyone claiming DE works never had bus to begin with.
But just like Morgellans, It's all in your head, but if it makes you feel better...

As long as I don't have mites, I'm not changing a thing. I have often said that if I saw mites on my chickens or in my coops, then I would use Pyrethrin and be rid of them. At that point I would know it didn't work.

I have absolutely seen it kill or chase away both ants and fleas. I'm sticking with that empirical evidence.

 

[EggWalrus]

As long as I don't have mites, I'm not changing a thing. I have often said that if I saw mites on my chickens or in my coops, then I would use Pyrethrin and be rid of them. At that point I would know it didn't work.

I have absolutely seen it kill or chase away both ants and fleas. I'm sticking with that empirical evidence.

Here's an idea. If you think DE is anything ofher than fancy dirt, take and dump a whole cup of it on an ant hill. If it is the mystical magical dirt that hippies claim it to be, they should be dead within a day or two.
But at best, if it tastes bad or stinks to them, they may move their ant hill a few feet away.
I wish I had the money to throw away on pipe dream cures.