Diatomaceous Earth

[Chickmama74]

I have been reading about diatomaceous earth and I wanted to know what are the benefits of giving it to my chickens? Is it something that I should give them on a regular basis? I have noticed that when I move the coop there is a ton of flies. Thank you for any help that anyone can give!

 

[CMV]

DE is a product that comes highly touted, but in actuality really has very few (if any) benefits. It is good for knocking down the stink in a soggy run/coop. It may add trace minerals to a chicken's diet if given internally (which they can get from eating plain old dirt, which is much cheaper than DE). And that's about it. I used to believe the hype around DE, and then I kept chickens for a few years. Everything I had ever heard was proven to be incorrect when tested in real world scenarios.

I am sure someone is going to see this post and refute my opinion of DE, but my honest opinion of the stuff is that it is produced and marketed as a way to part people with their money. That is about all it is good for.

 

[tellynpeep]

Thanks for saying it CMV!
I would say the same for ACV too!

 

[triplepurpose]

DE is a product that comes highly touted, but in actuality really has very few (if any) benefits. It is good for knocking down the stink in a soggy run/coop. It may add trace minerals to a chicken's diet if given internally (which they can get from eating plain old dirt, which is much cheaper than DE). And that's about it. I used to believe the hype around DE, and then I kept chickens for a few years. Everything I had ever heard was proven to be incorrect when tested in real world scenarios.

I am sure someone is going to see this post and refute my opinion of DE, but my honest opinion of the stuff is that it is produced and marketed as a way to part people with their money. That is about all it is good for.

Haha! I guess that someone is me, CMV!

I don't know anything about FEEDING DE to chickens, and I've never tried that, but I'll say it doesn't make much sense to me either. However, as you say DE is useful for drying out wet litter.

But mostly I have used it to control external parasites (mainly lice). Ever since I successfully used it several years ago to get rid of a nasty lice infestation, I have made it a regular part of coop maintainence. I sprinkled a little around now and then--in the litter, on the roosts, in the nest boxes, around the feeder and waterer, in doorways, etc. I've only seen lice once since then. I have since advised several other people I know to use it and they have also had good results. I can't vouch for those other uses mentioned or claimed, but I personally am convinced from what I've seen that it works for controlling lice and mites. (Note, however, that in severe infestations, several repeated applications may be necessary to get it under control, as well as applying the DE directly to the chickens one by one if needed--however, in this chicken keeper's experience, it DOES work, both as a fix, and especially as a control!)

 

[CMV]

I almost lost my flock to a mite infestation that I thought they couldn't have because I used DE heavily. I am going to have to respectfully disagree with you, sky the chicken man. DE may be useful as a preventative, but that is as far as I am willing to concede. DE is not an insecticide, however, and is ineffective on a full blown infestation.

 

[KootenaiRiverChick]

If you buy prepared feed for your chickens it usually has food-grade DE in it. They add that to keep the feed dry and it helps chickens rid their intestines of any nasty critters that might be lurking. I have had mixed results using it to control lice and mites. The mites went away after several thorough coop cleanings, a little permethrin in the bottom corners and continuous, daily applications of DE to the chickens themselves. I would say it took a couple of weeks to get that mess under control. The lice are much more stubborn and I'm going to try Poultry Protector today. Seems only one of my hens has lice and she's unfortunately the broody one who is mothering two adopted chicks now.

Side note: If you do use DE, make sure it is the food-grade type, not the type used in pools. Feed stores usually carry the food-grade, but make sure the bag says that clear as day.

 

[dawg53]

If you buy prepared feed for your chickens it usually has food-grade DE in it. They add that to keep the feed dry and it helps chickens rid their intestines of any nasty critters that might be lurking. I have had mixed results using it to control lice and mites. The mites went away after several thorough coop cleanings, a little permethrin in the bottom corners and continuous, daily applications of DE to the chickens themselves. I would say it took a couple of weeks to get that mess under control. The lice are much more stubborn and I'm going to try Poultry Protector today. Seems only one of my hens has lice and she's unfortunately the broody one who is mothering two adopted chicks now.

Side note: If you do use DE, make sure it is the food-grade type, not the type used in pools. Feed stores usually carry the food-grade, but make sure the bag says that clear as day.

If you truly want to end your lice problem, use sevin dust. Dust the coop and nests as well. Redust your chickens and coop again in 7-10 days effectively ending their lifecycle. DE does nothing in the intestines to control critters. It is useless when wet, just like inside a chickens innards.

 

[n8ivetxn]

x2, DE is ok for prevention, but not erradication of infestations (that was a mouthful!)

7 dust, or "poultry and garden dust" - same effective ingredient, same results. I did my birds on the 10th of June, checked a couple 2 days ago - no bugs!

 

[Chickmama74]

Thank you for all the info. I am going to check the bag of food to see if it has any in it. I don't have a pest/infestation so I guess I don't have to get it. My question was just a general question because I have see many posts raving about it.