DE or no DE, that is my question!

[aart]

DLM in the coop. I sprinkle DE very light on the pine shavings.

Pine shavings alone do not make DLM.
Personally I'd do DLM out in the run and keep the coop nice and dry with shavings only.

Here's a great description of contents and how to manage organic 'bedding' in a run or coop...and there's a great video of what it looks like.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1037998/muddy-run-help-please#post_16017992

I only use DE in the cracks and crevices of nests and roosts, no place it can become airborne....oh and it does work in feed if you get grain mites in feed.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Pine shavings alone do not make DLM.
Personally I'd do DLM out in the run and keep the coop nice and dry with shavings only.

X 2 on both counts. I use deep shavings in the coop and dlm in the run. I don't use de at all

 

[JaeG]

DE doesn't discriminate. It will kill all the good micro organisms and nematodes that you want to break down your deep litter. I also discovered it won't protect against red mites. I found thousands of those suckers wallowing quite happily in the deep bed of DE that I had in the bottom of my nestboxes under the straw. It wasn't killing them and it certainly wasn't controlling their numbers! Yuck! So I have vowed to never waste my money on that stuff again.

 

[Kiki]

DE doesn't discriminate. It will kill all the good micro organisms and nematodes that you want to break down your deep litter. I also discovered it won't protect against red mites. I found thousands of those suckers wallowing quite happily in the deep bed of DE that I had in the bottom of my nestboxes under the straw. It wasn't killing them and it certainly wasn't controlling their numbers! Yuck! So I have vowed to never waste my money on that stuff again.

 

[XanderWiFi]

Would someone be able to tell me what DLM stands for? Or what it is please?

 

[aart]

Would someone be able to tell me what DLM stands for? Or what it is please?

Welcome to BYC!
Deep Litter Method.
Here's an example:
Here's a great description of contents and how to manage organic 'bedding' in a run or coop...and there's a great video of what it looks like.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1037998/muddy-run-help-please#post_16017992

 

[6PeckinChickens]

Pine shavings alone do not make DLM.
Personally I'd do DLM out in the run and keep the coop nice and dry with shavings only.

Here's a great description of contents and how to manage organic 'bedding' in a run or coop...and there's a great video of what it looks like.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1037998/muddy-run-help-please#post_16017992

I only use DE in the cracks and crevices of nests and roosts, no place it can become airborne....oh and it does work in feed if you get grain mites in feed.

Thank you for the info!!