Questions about PDZ Stall Refresher

[rcm1201]

Can PDZ stall refresher be used on the entire floor of my coop instead of the pine shavings? I’ve only had chickens 2 weeks and the coop is already not smelling so great. They aren’t sleeping on the roosts yet, they huddle in the left near corner in the picture. Every couple of days I go in and scoop that area and replace the shavings since it’s a higher concentration of poop than the rest of the coop. Would just 100% PDZ stall refresher be an easier and better alternative to the pine shavings?

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

To clarify, are you currently using PDZ mixed in with the shavings?

 

[rcm1201]

To clarify, are you currently using PDZ mixed in with the shavings?

I am spreading it in currently. I am asking if I should completely remove the shavings and going 100% PDZ flooring

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I am spreading it in currently. I am asking if I should completely remove the shavings and going 100% PDZ flooring

OK thanks for clarifying. It's not meant to be used alone with no other bedding, but I just now looked online to try and determine if there would be any harm in doing so. I didn't find an answer, so will wait to see how others answer your question. Personally, I just throw in more PDZ that mixes with the shavings or dry leaves bedding when I smell ammonia. It would be a lot more expensive to use straight pdz, that's for sure.

 

[RojoMarz]

How old are the chickens? You can teach them to roost. If you replaced the shavings with PDZ, you'd have a poop board type arrangement.

 

[rcm1201]

How old are the chickens? You can teach them to roost. If you replaced the shavings with PDZ, you'd have a poop board type arrangement.

8 weeks - at 6 weeks I would go out there nightly and place them on the roost and none would stay on so I gave up after reading many threads here saying "they will learn on their own to roost"

 

[RojoMarz]

They will (hopefully) learn on their own. It helps it there are other chickens that they can learn from. We're you putting them on the roost after dark? I've found that they tend to stay better as they can't see to hop down.

I just started teaching my 4 week olds tonight. I closed their brooder down today. They ended up getting shut out of the coop as the pop door shut while they were still in the run. I always do a head count at/after dark, so I put them in the coop and on the roost.

 

[rcm1201]

Yea not too concerned with that, I can teach them or they will learn eventually. More concerned with whether the PDZ granules will be a suitable flooring in the coop instead of shavings to allow for easy scooping of poop with a cat litter scoop. Also wondering if they will freak out when they are sleeping on granules instead of their shavings.

 

[aart]

More concerned with whether the PDZ granules will be a suitable flooring in the coop instead of shavings to allow for easy scooping of poop with a cat litter scoop.

Yes, you can....as was posted in the other thread you asked this question in.

Also wondering if they will freak out when they are sleeping on granules instead of their shavings.

They might, they don't like changes.
Maybe sprinkle some of the shavings over the PDZ.
I do this with old shavings when I change out the bedding in the coop or they won't walk on the new shavings.

 

[Kiki]

Can PDZ stall refresher be used on the entire floor of my coop instead of the pine shavings? I’ve only had chickens 2 weeks and the coop is already not smelling so great. They aren’t sleeping on the roosts yet, they huddle in the left near corner in the picture. Every couple of days I go in and scoop that area and replace the shavings since it’s a higher concentration of poop than the rest of the coop. Would just 100% PDZ stall refresher be an easier and better alternative to the pine shavings?

You didn't ask but I think you have a few other things that you might want to consider changing soon.

The roost bars are too thin and too close to the walls.
You might want to consider raising that bottom one up just above the circles cut out on the left wall and changing it to a 2x4.
That top one it just too short and too close to the corner.


Also, you might be having trouble with smell because you may not have enough ventilation.

I hate shavings. I use peat moss and dirt. I have zero smell in my coop.