DE mixed w/feed

[OHhappychicks]

I figure this question has been asked and answered to death, but I tried to search it and it did not come up. Most probably because I didn't spell it right and "DE" didn't come up either. So here it goes again!

About what ratio do you mix the de in the feed?

 

[ChestnutRidge]

Hmm. I have been wondering the same thing. I read 5%, but I don't know if that is by volume or weight.

http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html:

Daily recommended food grade diatomaceous earth feeding rates:

Kittens - 1/2 teaspoon
Cats - 1 teaspoon
Puppies - 1/2 to 1 tsp.
Dogs under 35 lbs. - 1 teaspoon
Dogs over 35 lbs. - 1 tablespoon
Dogs over 100 lbs. - 2 tablespoons
Cattle, Dairy Cows, & Hogs - 2% of dry feed ration
Chickens - 5% in feed
Goats, Sheep, Alpacas, & Llamas - 2% in grain
Horses - 1/2 to 1 cup in daily ration
Zoo animals - 2% in daily feed​

 

[OHhappychicks]

Thank you ChestnutRidge! That's a start as I have no clue!

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

2-5% will work if you want to use it to control bugs in the grain.

There's no other advantage to putting it in feed

 

[ChestnutRidge]

But is that 2-5% by weight or volume?

These are the benefits listed:

FOOD GRADE DIATOMACEOUS EARTH BENEFITS SUMMARY:

· Natural wormer – eliminates many parasites without chemicals
· Safe, non-toxic, parasites don’t build immunity as they do with traditional wormers
· 15 trace minerals – great for animals, humans, plants, and soil
· No feed withdrawal for milk or feed animals
· Decreased mastitis
· Reduced scours
· Decreased mortality
· Better feed conversion
· Helps detox heavy metals, ecoli, bacteria, viruses, etc.
· Promotes shinier coats
· Digestive aid
· Colon cleanser
· Better production
· Better overall health
· Eliminates pests in stored grains
· Reduces flies, fleas, ticks, etc.
· Reduces manure odor
· Drying agent
· Reduces moisture and pests in barns, coops, kennel, litter boxes, compost piles, and other moist areas
· Anti-fungal properties – good for garden fungal growth
· Reduces overall animal stress
· Cost effective​

 

[confusedturtle]

I have been adding it to my chicks feed & on bedding since day 1 and have never seen any mites on any of them or worms in their poop or anything. I put it on our kittens but it did not seem to affect fleas. I just gave them a bath with dawn and the fleas are dead, when they dry I will dust them with DE again

 

[karlamaria]

So what is 5% ? I need to know to so I cam add to food for my chickens.

 

[Chris09]

Quote:

It should be by weight.
That would make it 2 lbs DE to 98 lbs of feed or 5 lbs DE 95 lbs of feed.

Chris

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

But is that 2-5% by weight or volume?

These are the benefits listed:

It's by weight.

Keep in mind that site listing the "benefits" is trying to SELL you DE

Most of the things on the list are outright lies, or simply meaningless rhetoric

Examples:

"No feed withdrawal"

Of course there is none, since it's basically just sand, and not a "drug"

Reduces overall animal stress

Simply rhetoric

Helps detox heavy metals, ecoli, bacteria, viruses, etc

Patently false, with no scientific evidence to back it up

· Better production
· Better overall health

More meaningless rhetoric

15 trace minerals – great for animals, humans, plants, and soil

Fancy description for contaminants found in any soil
Pure DE only has 3 ingredients...Silica, Alumina, and Iron Oxide.

· Decreased mastitis
· Reduced scours
· Decreased mortality

No scientific proof of any of those​

 

[audioguy]

It does kill bugs!!

I use it all the time in their bedding, not their food. My dog also gets a dusting to kill whatever she rolls around in outside. I just sprinkle it her bedding.

I have used it to kill ants, roaches and mites. I also use it in my compost container in the kitchen to keep down fruit flies.

We had an ant problem in our greenhouse and one application on the surface eliminated them all. They have not returned in over 3 months.

Great stuff for pests.