How do you use DE?

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Did your cows test for worms before the DE treatment? Everything I`ve seen on it says that it is innefective for anything if it gets wet and it stands to reason that the inside of a cow is wet. Also read that it doesn`t affect critters with exoskelletons, which must be the reason it doesn`t work on lice/mites. I just hear all the praise for a product that has done nothing for me. I`ve been using Sevin dust for 53 years and it has done everything I`ve asked it to do and even proven safe for broodies with chicks. I would like to hear some others that have used DE successfully, though..........Pop

Yes cows have worms every year after a wet spring, one of the problems with raising them on fenced pastures and not being able to roam on 5 gazilion square miles of land like they were designed. I have read just the opposite as you. On two points. 1. It's main use is as an insecticide is for insects with exoskeletons, it scratches the wax coating off the exoskeletons of the insect and this causes them to dehydrate. 2. DE is not soluble in water and therefor getting it wet has no ill affect, I actually put it in a spray bottle to apply it to nest boxes, helps it get into the cracks and crevices. DE is also an EPA approved insecticide. Not all bags have the label, but if requested you can have it labeled. Many farmers use DE in silos and elevators to reduce insect loss. In barley used for beer, it is becoming ever more popular as the insects can not develop an immunity as with chemical insecticides and it is SIGNIFICANLTY more effective than chemical control, is cheaper, and safer for the end user (me and you). DE is a mechanical insecticide, and therefore must be used through several life cycles. In the event of a major outbreak, it may not be effective, I dunno I have never had one. It does not do anything to eggs that is vey true, thus the requirement to kill the adults through several generations. My mother uses Sevin as well and has been very happy with it for years also.

Internally they are really not sure of the mechanics behind the killing of parasites, the most recent thinking is that the DE has an opposite charge to that of the internal parasite and it literally drains the energy out of them. Some believe that it has a similar affect to exoskeletal insects outside the environment. I don't know either way, I just know that it works. I have seen it. Yes it does take a while, but you can eat it, that right there makes it my first weapon of choice.

LOL, almost like politics, ain`t it. Guess we`ll all do what we want and decide what`s best for us.........Pop
 
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Did your cows test for worms before the DE treatment? Everything I`ve seen on it says that it is innefective for anything if it gets wet and it stands to reason that the inside of a cow is wet. Also read that it doesn`t affect critters with exoskelletons, which must be the reason it doesn`t work on lice/mites. I just hear all the praise for a product that has done nothing for me. I`ve been using Sevin dust for 53 years and it has done everything I`ve asked it to do and even proven safe for broodies with chicks. I would like to hear some others that have used DE successfully, though..........Pop

Well, I HAVE had success with DE for treating EXTERNAL parasites on chickens. I had a bad case of mites in the coop (or lice maybe, I'm not sure--the little tiny grey ones). Whenever I went inside I would feel them crawling around on my ankles and lower legs. They never bit humans or anything but it was kinda gnarly, and the chickens were irritated by them. I used food grade DE, sprinkled on the floor of the coop and the run, and on the roosts and in the nest boxes. I also rubbed it onto any chicken I saw that had them on it, taking special care of my broody hens and their nests. After a few weeks of regular DE applications the problem lessened, and it's been a while now since I've seen any. I now add a sprinkling from time to time as a precautionary measure, and it also helps to absorb moisture in the litter some. So not exactly scientific evidence, and I can't say that it killed ALL of the critters RIGHT AWAY, but I can say with confidence it helped me to manage the problem satisfactorily. I also have several friends with chickens (some of whom have had SEVERE mite and lice problems) who have found it useful as an inexpensive, non-toxic control.

Can't say anything about the internal parasites, but I too am a little skeptical about that... Although some seem convinced.
 
$25. Dang nab-it... I just paid $53 for a 50lb bag today (south coast Oregon)

I use it everyday. Every morning after I clean the coop I sprinkle around where the girls roost at nite and in corners etc..really helps w smell and the girls mix it up with the sand. I use sweet pdz about once a week in the outside (covered) coop. Pdz works great too.
 
I use it dry out the poop in the coop. I find it absorbs the moisture and allows me to not have to clean out all the litter all the time. I sprinkle it on the wood chips/shavings and give it a toss around every couple of days. It also supposed to keep bugs etc... down. so far it has worked for me. I buy foodgrade DE from TSC. I also find a little goes a long way
 
I sprinkle it in the coop/run, in the nest boxes, roosts and poopboard. Pretty much everywhere in the coop. As far as scientific evidence of it's effectiveness? Eh. Much more experienced chicken folks than I am sing it's praises here, that's good enough for me. I don't believe I've gone wrong listening to others here on any other subject of chicken raising, so I'm sticking with DE too. I figure that, as long as one doesn't rely on it to be a catch all and just use it as one weapon in an arsenal of chicken health, then my girls should do OK. As to it's being ineffective on exoskeletal creatures (bugs), I've been using it on fire ant mounds and it seems pretty effective. Usually one treatment is enough to kill off the mound and I don't worry about the chickens like I would have with the Amdro or Spectracide I used to use.
 
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I say, if it works, use it!
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