Composting chicken litter that has DE in it

[bluie]

On this forum and The Easy Garden, there is much discussion of the merits of DE. Many people sprinkle it in the deep litter in the coop and also in the run. Many even put it in the chickens' food. Seems that most people also compost the old litter from coop and run. How does this affect the composting process? Won't the DE kill many beneficial organisms normally present in a healthy compost pile? Won't it kill earthworms? Will the compost pile ingredients still break down? Worried about my worms in suburbia aka bluie aka aquarose (on TEG) (same questions posted on the easy garden)

 

[MissPrissy]

DE is ineffective once it has gotten wet. That is why it has to be reapplied if you put out in a run area and then it rains.

Also any commercial feed you buy has DE in there as an insect prohibitive. It is in many things you just aren't told specifically.

 

[bluie]

Thanks Miss Prissy. That makes a lot of sense. Why would people feed it to their animals though? It wouldn't have any effect in a wet digestive tract, would it?