DE and dust

[gjoyner]

its so crazy! everyone has their own opinions..i cant seem to figure out what Im supposed to do!
Does anyone have any ideas as to what to do for the deep litter method for a very dry climate?

 

[patandchickens]

You will just have to experiment and see what works best for you.

For a very dry climate, I would suggest a droppings board under the roost (scraped off every morning into a bucket that you remove from the coop - this takes literally, and I do mean LITERALLY, like 10 seconds) and rather coarse rather than fine shavings (if you can get them), and no DE unless you dust a little into crevices.

If it's getting stinky, how much ventilation do you have? Maybe not enough. Also, clean out the worst deposits and add fresh bedding (NOT as a substitute for more ventilation, but in addition to it)

In a truly arid climate you could I suppose try sprinkling the bedding with water, then stirring it together, to lay the dust... but honestly I do not see that as being likely to really solve your problems.

You may just have to clean your coop more often. Not every situation can get away with just letting things accumulate forever, you know?

Pat

 

[clport]

gjoyner-
Do you have the Storey Guide to Raising Chickens? There's a great description of the "Deep Litter System" (also called the "Built-Up Litter System") starting on page 244. I was just reading it last night because I was confused about it just like you. If you don't have the book, let me know and I'll try to post the entire section sometime today. Anyway, basically it says you start out with 4 inches of whatever you use on the floor of your coop (they recommend pine shavings) and build it up as needed. When the bedding gets matted, stir it up and add a little bit more. You want to have about 10 inches on the ground by the time winter starts. "Rather than becoming filty as you might expect, properly managed built-up litter gradually ferments (composts) and after about 6 months develops sanitizing properties. Furthermore, the heat produced by fermentation keeps a flock warm during cooler months and flies are less of a problem during warmer months because accumulated dry manure attracts fly predators and parasites." It goes on to say that excessive moisture is usually more of a problem than dryness. If it's too dry, the author suggests dampening the litter with an occasional sprinkling of water followed by stirring.
Hope this helps! Good luck.

 

[gjoyner]

I dont have the book! it sounds very informative!

 

[clport]

Here (I hope that word-link worked!) is the link to the book from Amazon. It's the best book for a newbie chicken keeper.

 

[gjoyner]

waay ahead of ya buddy! I already ordered it from amazon!
haha

 

[valentinebaby]

Well, I'm sure there will be some of you not happy with this, but I use DE by lightly dusting about 1 cup over a 32 s.f. area and working it in while the chickens are outside playing. I've only done this twice in about 3 months - mainly because I had to remove and replace a bunch of pine shavings cuz of the insane rain we've had this spring. I also make a concoction of peat moss, wood ashes and tiny bit of DE for their dust bath area.

Think of the deep litter method as a compost pile, slowly breaking down the poo, that you have to regenerate as needed by adding another inch or so of shavings. My chickens do a bunch of digging in their coop, so I rarely have to stir it up like I use to! My coop isn't set up with a droppings board and I have no smell at all, but will probably add one in the future, cuz it can't hurt! All of the openings into my coop are covered not only with 1/2" hardware cloth, but window screen as well to keep flying critters to a minimum.

Please read this!!!

http://www.dirtdoctor.com/organic/garden/view_question/id/265/

Sorry, but there is evidence to support the use of DE and it's my personal choice, but only sparingly. My vet just told me he worms his chickens with a poultry wormer twice a year to prevent worms getting in the eggs themselves! Yeach! He said it's pretty awful to crack an egg and see a worm inside... Not sure if I will do that, but will probably do so at least 2 weeks before they hopefully start laying and again when they're molting to prevent any residual medicine getting in the eggs as well. He said no matter what precautions you take in your yard or run, outside birds, animals, etc. can bring those problems in.

 

[edselpdx]

Quote:
Absolutely. I wasn't trying to imply that people can't make their own choices. I just work in healthcare, so the weight of evidence I want is pretty strict, and that's not out there for small backyard flocks and DE.

The OP was complaining about dust while using DE, and not about mites or parasites, so thought I would post my personal experience and research into evidence. There is NO experimental evidence that DE taken internally prevents worms. In fact, even your story from your vet indicates that real deworming, and not DE was the recommendation. There are many recommendations, but I have seen no scientifically published evidence of DE taken internally to prevent non-insect infestations. (Worms are not insects).

Even food grade DE carries warnings about inhaling the dust, so I choose not to use it, as I have come to believe that the DE dust is worse than the cure for chix sensitive respiratory systems, UNLESS THERE IS AN INFESTATION of mites/fleas.

DE's method of action is that it is fossilized diatoms, which have sharp edges. The sharp edges cut the exoskeletons of external parasite/insects like mites/fleas, etc and cause them to die of dehydration. Just because something is "organic" or "natural" does not mean that it causes no harm in routine use.

ed