In this post, I’m going to share with you the DIY Coop Refresher Recipe I created to cut down on ammonia in my chicken coop that's 60% cheaper! If you’ve gotten started with chickens, chances are you have become all too familiar with the stinky smell of ammonia in your chicken coop. Ammonia is bad news not just for your nostrils, but for your hen’s health and egg production too.
Sweet PDZ Coop Refresher is an organic certified powder you can sprinkle under your chickens’ roost and around the coop to naturally keep the smell of ammonia down. While it absolutely works wonders, it’s incredibly overpriced.
Please note: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you end up clicking and purchasing an item. I worked hard to find my trusted favorites and I want to share them with you so you don't have to deal with all the crappy junk I had to go through. Nuff said.
Where does ammonia come from in your chicken coop?
Ammonia is a rancid smelling gas that is created from the chemical decomposition of uric acid in your hen’s manure (the bird equivalent of urine). Uric acid is made up of nitrogen, and when it gets wet or warm, the chemical decomposition causes the manure to release ammonia gas.
Why is ammonia a problem for your hen’s health?
Ammonia is highly irritating to mucous membranes, specifically your hen’s eyes and respiratory system. When ammonia gets into their respiratory system, it greatly reduces the strength of your hen’s immune system which (on top of the respiratory issues) can increase their risk of getting an infection.
Damage to your hen’s eyes is another concern. Redness and swelling around your hen’s eyelids, AKA Conjunctivitis, is caused by the irritating nature of ammonia gas. Longer exposure to ammonia levels can lead to weight loss and a drop in egg production. The issue here is that as humans, we begin to detect ammonia with our noses at about 20 parts per million, but by that point, your hens are already suffering. Think about it, you stand about 4-5’ taller than your girls when you enter the coop, but your hens are scampering about only 1’ above their litter - much closer to the source of the ammonia. One of the best ways to detect if you are having an ammonia issue is to get down on your hands and knees and take a big whiff - you think I’m kidding but I’m not! Ultimately, you must keep bedding as dry as possible to keep ammonia from accumulating in your coop, and I’ve found that Sweet PDZ Coop Refresher is the best way to combat it. What is Sweet PDZ Coop Refresher?
PDZ is a mineral called zeolite, which can be mined or synthetically made. There are over 250 types of zeolite, but when it comes to your chickens, zeolite clinoptilolite (ZC) is the one you’d be using. ZC is a naturally occurring mineral made up of silica and aluminum oxide. It is mined in the US and various countries from volcanic tuff, meaning rock that has seen volcanic activity in the past.
How does PDZ reduce ammonia?
Zeolites have a high adsorption rate (yes you read that right ADsorption) which means that the atoms, ions, or molecules from a substance adhere easily to the adsorber. In the case of zeolite used in chicken coops, it stops the smell of ammonia because the zeolite adheres and neutralizes excess nitrogen in the uric acid. No excess nitrogen means no ammonia being generated.
What are the other benefits of PDZ?
PDZ when mixed with your used coop bedding also acts as a slow-release fertilizer for your garden by offering up nitrogen and potassium to your plant’s roots without burning them.
It’s not harmful or toxic to humans, just be mindful of breathing in the dust. Like any fine particle it can irritate your lungs a bit if you aren’t careful when applying it. Why and how to make your own Coop Refresher?
The issue is the brand name Coop Refresher is so dang expensive at nearly a $1.80 a pound ($17.95 for a 10lb bag) that I can’t justify the expense. So I went to work to make my own Coop Refresher that does double duty by both reducing ammonia and nixing nagging pests like lice and mites.
The trick is to split your sourcing between shopping online (so convenient I know) and shopping at your local feed store. Because the bags of PDZ are so heavy, shipping costs are insanely high. When you shop locally for PDZ you’ll see much more reasonable prices, typically $10.95 for 20lbs locally versus $17.95 for 10lbs online! On top of PDZ, I include diatomaceous earth in my DIY recipe to help keep external parasites away. I also add bentonite clay to keep things extra dry with my hens’ bedding and for an extra mineral boost when I compost the bedding and use it in my garden. Lastly, I include barn lime for additional grit and calcium for my hens. They will pick up the small pieces of rock in the barn lime and eat it so their gizzard can use it as grit. By making your own Coop Refresher, it's 60% cheaper than buying it! Seriously, it's a win-win for me and the hens. ​DIY Coop Refresher Recipe ~95lbs (.63 cents a pound)
Supplies:
Steps:
That’s it folks! Have you used Sweet PDZ Coop Refresher before? I hope this post can save you a chunk of change and help keep your hens healthy and happy!
Did you love this post?
Thank you!You have successfully joined our subscriber list.
12 Comments
Leilani
5/17/2020 08:21:40 am
I just wandered in from IG because I am starting to raise backyard chickens and interested in free range/zero grain and close loop agriculture (with black fly soldier larvae). Just a helpful tip, I generally buy a 50# bag of zeolite for $17.50 to mix in with my cat's litter. This is ZC free of silica (quartz) intended for use in artificial turf. The company is zeofill.co. Just look up a local distributor. I pick it up at the warehouse. However this is more in crumbles form, not sand. If you are looking for fine particles, you could try pool sand zeolite. I don't know if pool cleaning companies are common in your area. I'm going to try the zeolite with construction sand in my outdoor brooder coop.
Reply
8/7/2022 02:27:17 am
I like the idea ofthe Coop regresher...how can I get s supply from you ?
Reply
8/17/2020 12:23:47 am
There are many advantages to owning your own chickens. Farm fresh eggs are healthier, tastier, and readily available from your own back yard. Meat birds are fast growing, take little space to raise and are fairly inexpensive for the resulting outcome in food production. Raising your own chickens means you get to decide what goes into the making of the final product.
Reply
So I am confused....I’ve read that diatomaceous earth kills the good microorganisms and if used in the chickens bedding I won’t be able to compost the bedding. I have a 6’ x 4’ henhouse with an enclosed, covered 12x6’ coop and then a fenced but open 25x12’ run with 11 hens. Would you put the coop refresher everywhere? Or just some spots? This past week I had 2 of my Americauna’s get sick. Listless, very sleepy, General malaise. I brought them inside (one at a time because they got sick one after another and it’s been 110 degrees F during the days). I treated them with Corid and then gave the whole flock Corid in their water for 5 days. I suspect it was parasites, but I’m not sure. They all seem fine now. If I don’t treat the run area, where they spend most of their time, should I poop scoop out there to keep parasites down? Or mix in some sand? The run is just natural soil and very clay texture. Coop is natural soil mixed with some medium grit white sand and peat moss to make it “digable” for them. Henhouse has a linoleum floor with 4-6” of pine shavings. I wanted to do deep litter with pine shavings in the hen house and coop but we got mites and I gave up, treated everything with DE and took the shavings out of the coop. Because I have the DE in the henhouse now I’ve been chucking the shavings when they need to be replaced but I’d rather compost them if it’s still possible.
Reply
Kelsey
8/30/2020 06:09:43 am
Hi Jenny! I sprinkle coop refresher all over the coop once a week and concentrate daily underneath the roosts. To me, it honestly sounds like your girls were just hot. I’ve never had any issue composting breeding after sprinkling it with DE.
Reply
Amber
5/3/2021 08:34:12 pm
Hello! I know this article is a bit old, but I just stumbled across it as I was researching ways to de-stink the chicken coop. I plan on doing construction sand in the coop itself and then scooping it like a litter box. I've 8 hens (still babies currently, so not yet out of the brooder box). Can I use this refresher recipe with sand? Would I just essentially mix it into the sand, or sprinkle it on top? Thank you, I love your blog, I am getting so much information about chickens!!
Reply
Susie A Osman
6/18/2021 03:43:55 pm
Hi - I have raised poultry for over 25 years, but this is the 1st time that I am going to use the "deep litter" method. Flipping thru my poultry mags, I've recently noticed a lot of ads, and suggestions to use this PDZ---which I had never heard of! So thank you ever so much for your DIY PDZ Coop refresher recipe! I will totally try this!.. Thanks
Reply
Laura Pfeifer
11/4/2022 09:03:54 am
Hello! Thanks for putting together this recipe. When I was researching the ingredient prices, I came across a bag of Sweet PDZ for horses listed at $12.99 at our local TSC. Which makes it $.52 a pound. I’m not sure if it’s the exact same product. It’s literally labeled “sweet pdz“… But I guess I would need to research the ingredients.🤷♀️ someone in the reviews claimed it was the exact same thing, but marketed for horses instead of chickens.
Reply
Kelsey
11/4/2022 09:38:00 am
Yes the price has probably gone up a bit since I put this post together, but the Sweet PDZ is perfect for coops! Not just horses. ;) I add my extra ingredients for the extra ammonia-fighting capabilities.
Reply
Laura Pfeifer
11/4/2022 10:06:23 am
OK I think I was getting confused between Sweet PDZ and coop refresher. Yes, “coop refresher” is still more expensive than making this recipe yourself at home!
Rene
5/16/2023 06:54:40 am
Could I use cat litter for the Bentonite clay? Tractor supply has a 25lb bag that is the calium bentonite clay and is only $6.99?
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Meet Kelsey,Thanks for stopping by Green Willow Homestead! From chicken rearing to composting, we've got our hands full and we love sharing what we've learned along the way. Follow along as we turn the 80 acres we call home into a farm that serves its community and a homestead that nourishes us throughout the seasons. Grab the EbookListen in!FREE Guide!Tune in to our YouTube ChannelInspirationsCategories
All
Favorite Books of 20241. Erosion
2. Braiding Sweetgrass 3. As Long As Grass Grows 4. The Small Scale Poultry Flock 5. The Zero Waste Solution Archives
July 2024
|
FOLLOW KELSEY ON INSTAGRAM!
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. |