DE (Diatomaceous Earth)

[jnjross]

here the link to dawn page on de she's been collecting links to most of the de threads on it
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1560-Food_Grade_DE

 

[spatcher]

If anyone has any questions what they are looking for, PM me.

 

[jnjross]

nope they're not i found my answer on the red lake earth thread, feed grade is a feed supp for anti-caking does nothing for bugs just poo.

 

[dixygirl]

Yipee!
I just got a bag of DE and i put it on everything. It is in my beds, on the rugs, in animal bedding, on the animals, in the animals food, I am covered in it and i am drinking milk and honey with a few spoons of it too!
I went DE crazy

PS I also put it on an ant mound so i will tell you if it works or not.

 

[dixygirl]

This morning I found a new use for DE. I use it as face powder/foundation with a big powder brush. Just like Bare Minerals! A bit of bronzer done!

 

[spatcher]

Yippie! Still another use! lol

 

[Portia]

Thanks for the informative post, spatcher. I mix a small bit of DE in with my chickens morning yogurt/oatmeal conconction (they mob me if I don't bring any out). If I need to give medications other than injectibles I also use this concoction (or just very watery oatmeal) as I know they are getting their dosage versus putting it in water...they have a number of places to acquire water when free ranging. My flock also wavers on how much of their crumble they eat in the summer, sometimes its very little at all; so putting supplements in this food source isn't always very effective. Mind you, the dosage of any meds/supplements in this manner is very small.
Other ways I use DE:
Sprinkled over the top of my droppings pit after scraping the droppings off the screen every other day; it keeps things bone dry and void of smell. Mixed in with shavings in the rest of the coop. Additionally, I use a DE whitewash mix on my 2x4 roosts and have found that it makes them much easier to clean off. I have also sprinkled it in their dusting areas, but find that unless I mix it in with a bit of the dirt they will then avoid dusting in that spot.

 

[spatcher]

I too use it in their dusting pit but they dont avoid it. An hour after putting it in, you wouldnt even know it was ever there.

 

[Portia]

I wish my chickens were so aggreable to it. Of course one plus is that I have seen my dog rolling around in it...so at least I know she's mite free!

 

[spatcher]

...and flea and tick too, I hope!