Can you rub or let chickens bathe in DE??

[Ragna]

The title please

 

[SueT]

Hi, I have dusted chickens w DE. When we brought in a new one, he got rubbed w it. I put it in the nest box bedding. I put it on my cat too.

 

[Ragna]

Hi, I have dusted chickens w DE. When we brought in a new one, he got rubbed w it. I put it in the nest box bedding. I put it on my cat too.

What if they eat iy??

 

[Kiki]

Sure you can let them bath in it.
I don't think it is a good idea though.
Would you like to breath it in?
I don't think it would feel too nice.

 

[SueT]

What if they eat iy??

The DE I have says 'food grade' so I don't think it will hurt to eat it. I can't imagine they'd intentionally eat it tho, it's just a white powder. And as Kikisgirls says above, you don't want to breathe this fine white powder, or put out so much that the chickens are forced to breathe a cloud of it.

 

[Kiki]

The DE I have says 'food grade' so I don't think it will hurt to eat it. I can't imagine they'd intentionally eat it tho, it's just a white powder. And as Kikisgirls says above, you don't want to breathe this fine white powder, or put out so much that the chickens are forced to breathe a cloud of it.

Some major brand name companies put DE in their feed.

For what reason I will don't quite understand but I think it is probably to prevent grain mites in the feed.

 

[nightowl223]

The biggest danger with DE is breathing it, and they would definitely breathe it if it were in their dust bath. I used to use it, but don't do it any more, since I learned the various illnesses (human as well as critter) that it can cause when breathed.

It's perfectly safe to eat, if it's marked 'food grade' on the package.

 

[Jack Czerwonka]

The title please

I feed my chickens de and it cleans them so it is ok if they eat it

 

[Kiki]

I feed my chickens de and it cleans them so it is ok if they eat it

DE doesn't not clean a chicken, that is not true.

 

[nightowl223]

View attachment 1459016 DE doesn't not clean a chicken, that is not true.

Agreed. It was supposedly supposed to clean out any parasites internally, as the old saying went. However, there is absolutely zero proof that it works - especially not any better than actual wormers work.