Can somebody expain Diatomaceous Earth?

[lkellett]

I thought it was used in the chicken's "dust bath" to ward off lice/mites.

Oh, okay. Thank you for explaining that to me.

 

[cmom]

One of the biggest gimmicks out there. Total Total waste of money.

I agree. Some people swear by it and that's good if it works for them but I have never had any luck with it. When I had a severe mite infestation the first thing I used was DE but after a coupe of weeks the birds were looking worse. I did some research and found permethrin which is a synthetic. Permethrin is an insecticide in the pyrethroid family. Pyrethroids are synthetic chemicals that act like natural extracts from the chrysanthemum flower. Permethrin is used in a number of ways to control insects. Products containing permethrin may be used in public health mosquito control programs. They may be used on food and feed crops, on ornamental lawns, on livestock and pets, in structures and buildings, and on clothing. Permethrin may also be used in places where food is handled, such as restaurants. Some farmers use it in the ear tags on their cows for flies. It's toxic to cats and bees. If sprayed once it dries it's ok. There is no egg withdrawal period so eggs are safe to eat. Usually wild birds can introduce pests into the flocks. Many people use DE and think because they have no parasite issues it's because of the DE but they may be using it as a preventative and if there is no pests to begin with, how do they know if it's actually working just because they have no pests that probably weren't there in the first place. Just my opinion. I started raising birds around 50 years ago. I never had any issues until a few years ago. Good luck...

 

[cmom]

When people contact head lice, permethrin is what is used in head lice shampoos.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

You can also do fecal floats yourself if you get a microscope and a few key materials. It's a little bit of money up front but ordering most of the supplies in bulk on Amazon will have you set for a long, long time... youtube is a good place to get the 'how to's down, and from there it's all fun. I got mine originally for identifying koi parasites but it gets used for a lot more than that. Mine hooks into the computer- so the slide is blown up in real time to the size of my computer screen- no straining the neck and eyes.

That would be a great article you could do

 

[Padfoot22]

Oh, okay. Thank you for explaining that to me.

I use it in dust baths also. I also sprinkle it lightly in the coop after cleaning and before putting down new straw as a lice/mite preventative also.

 

[Shezadandy]

That would be a great article you could do

I hadn't even thought about that, great idea!

 

[Cynthia12]

I think I posted this a while back... somewhere. I used this on all of my chickens. Some may think...hmmm? . But, I promise, once I started to use it, my mite problems were gone. So easy!! Spritz the bottom, tummy, both sides of neck, back, under wings, and feet and legs. Of course you're lifting up the feathers to squirt it on. So easy, and no waiting on eggs to be ok to eat. Buy it in pet shops.