DE ? Should I remove it?

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I bet they gave you the wrong DE I would remove it right away. Food Grade DE should not do that. You can call them and ask them what the label reads. I give mine DE all the time and have it sprinkled in their nest boxes and hen house and never had a prob with it at all. I also sprinkle it in their food.

 

[Indiana hens]

I myself would rather treat the chickens as needed. Most times it is not needed! Did you have a problem with the chickens that they needed treatment? I do wazine them mid-summer as a preventative.

 

[LynneP]

Which of your birds are balding under the vent? Now that you have removed the DE (whether food grade or not), watch those girls for broody behavior. Sometimes they pick themselves clean between the legs to expose skin to warm eggs that they hope to hatch. One of my golden comets, Zipfi, has tried this and is trying again...

 

[Carolyn]

I have looked several places locally for DE that is food grade and not the ground limestone. It isn't easily found except the internet, some hatchery catalogs or perhaps a health food store.
As others said you must have the wrong kind.
There have been several threads about DE on here under feeding and watering your flock. Maybe they would help. Hope your chicks get better.

 

[speckledhen]

DE wont cause feather loss like that. That looks like my molting girls. They sometimes get completely bare bottoms. I always put a couple of cups of DE in every newly opened feedbag to kill any bugs that may find their way inside or kill any that hatch from eggs in the feed. It must, must, must be food grade DE.

 

[silkiechicken]

They feathers may not come back till next moult either, so it may take a while to see any changes.

That said, I always thought DE worked by scratching up and drying out external paracites. I don't see how eating it, being all moist inside, is going to do anything really, or cause local feather loss. I'd keep an eye out for picking too.

 

[ChicksR4Me]

Quote:
No.. I didn't have a problem that I could see but what prompted me to do it was my dog. He has gotten real sick and I thought he may have picked up a parasite from eating their poop. I've since learned since he's been to the vet that it is something neorlogigal and the only way to diagnose would be a animal neuroligist. I also learned that nothing from the chickens would have caused his problems.

 

[ChicksR4Me]

The DE has been removed and I will pick up some plain yogurt when I go to the store today. Also I will put some iodine mixed with vaseline on the affected area and pray that this will help them. Thanks for all your advise. It just makes me sick to think I could have done this to them by giving them the wrong DE.

 

[MoodyChicken]

The DE is not causing that. That is either a tumor, a reproductive cyst, or internal laying. I have a hen with a bubble butt like that, she's had it for a year and she's just fine. Remove the DE if it's not food grade though. It can cause serious respiratory issues and I'd immagine it can scrape up the gut pretty good too. Food Grade DE is harder to find and it's usually more expensive.

 

[CoopCrazy]

I work at a hotel and have my housekeeping supply gentleman getting me food grade DE. I dont have a price yet but it has to be cheaper then ordering online and paying shipping. Maybe check with a local hotel and see if they could order some for you.