Are my chickens going to die?

[auntie hattie]

I honestly thought I had read everything on this forum. I didn't read careful enough and I trusted a guy at Ace that told me that the Safer Brand DE was safe around my chickens. I even ask if it could be around and on their food. He said it is what they sell to people all the time for there chickens. I have been using this stuff ( about 3 lbs. ) in their coop all over in the sand and they have eaten bugs with it on it. I'm sick and horrified. Are my chickens going to die? I have a 8x7 run that i have spread it around in about 4 inches deep of sand. I have been using it for the last 3 months. What do I do? Are the eggs we have been eating bad also? I am sick about this. I love my chickens. Can anyone help me with some answers? Thank you

 

[colebarnhart]

??? Are they acting sick???

 

[CapricornFarm]

It is not going to hurt your chickens. It may even kill a few worms for them. All it is , is a skeleton of very small critters called diatoms. Probably has calcium in it too.

 

[Imp]

What's the problem?

If it's food grade DE, it is safe to use around your chickens. The eggs are OK to eat.

If it is pool grade DE I'd stop using it.

Imp

 

[auntie hattie]

No they don't act sick at all I just got more curious when I was spreading some more of it to kill cockroaches and my favorite chicken Hattie ran up and started to eat them with the DE on them. I was putting the DE on a nest with a lot of baby cockroaches that I had turned up by moving a big rock in my garden. Anyway I started to read on the bag and couldn't find food grade anywhere on it. So I came in and google it and this great forum pulled up again with advice not to use it but everyone asking about it hadn't used it yet. So I was afraid since I had been using it my chickens that they could die from it. I'm so mad I just took this guys advice instead of reading about it. Just in a hurry that day and trusted the wrong person. I will not use it again. Thanks for your quick replies I appreciate it so much.

 

[stormylady]

What exactly does it say on the bag? I use food grade DE all the time with no ill effects? Does the bag have a list of uses on it?

 

[auntie hattie]

It is not food grade.
Here is the info on it.

Diatomaceous earth-based powder is a highly effective ant and bed bug killer; 4-pound resealable bag
Kills insects by ingestion/dehydration within 48 hours indoors or outdoors
Also for cockroach, earwig, silverfish, crickets, millipedes and centipede control
Insects cannot develop a resistance to it since there are no chemicals to build immunity from
OMRI Listed and USDA-approved for organic gardening
4-pound bag-powder presentation
Kills bed bugs, cockroaches, ants, earwigs, silverfish, fleas, crickets, millipedes, and centipedes
Kills insects by ingestion/dehydration within 48 hours

Product Description
Bothered by crawling insects such as bed bugs, ants, earwigs, cockroaches, silverfish, crickets, fleas, millipedes or centipedes? Safer Brand's Ant and Crawling Insect Powder utilizes Diatomaceous Earth (a.k.a., silicon dioxide), which includes a bait formula that kills insects by ingestion/dehydration within 48 hours. It works indoors and outdoors when kept dry. The efficient nature of this organic pest control product makes it the most economical and convenient solution to the wide array of garden annoyances on the market. It's OMRI Listed and USDA Certified for use in organic gardening.

This version comes in a 4-pound resealable bag, but it's also available in a 7-ounce puffer bottle.


The Safer Brand Ant and Crawling Insect Powder provides you with two forms of protection against crawling insects. First, if the pest ingests the Diatomaceous Earth, they will die within 48 hours of ingestion. The second method is that when the insect crawls through Diatomaceous Earth, it will cut their exoskeleton, which releases their vital moisture within their body, causing them to dehydrate and die.

The best part about this product is that insects won't become immune to this solution--finally, an organic solution to crawling insects with lasting protection.

Not all Diatomaceous Earth is not the same. Safer Brand Ant and Crawling Insect Killer Powder with Diatomaceous Earth is made from a patented formula containing amorphous diatomaceous earth, known as silicon dioxide. This particular type of Diatomaceous Earth is derived from fresh water sources and is not the same as Diatomite DE, which can be derived from unnatural sources and has been linked to cancer.

Coat a thin layer in the areas where these pests are found or may hide such as cracks and crevices, behind and beneath stoves, refrigerators, sinks, cabinets, garbage cans, around pipes and drains, window frames, and in attics and basements. You can also apply this product directly to insects where possible. Repeat treatment as necessary.

Outdoor Use

Lightly coat the areas where the pests are found or may hide including windows, door frames, sills, and outside of entrance ways. Repeat treatment as necessary. Apply on days in which there is no rain prevalent as this solution works best when kept dry.

 

[dawg53]

Dont worry about it. DE is ineffective when wet, inside the chickens innards are wet.

 

[sharol]

Quote:

 

[SaraFL]

Quote:
Hang on, I thought there was a kind of DE (pool grade maybe?) that IS harmful. How does the OP know what kind of DE she's been using?