DE: what's wrong with non- food grade?

[Kathy1]

My pet chicken sells DE also, in small quanities, it states it is safe to eat the eggs etc while treating.

http://www.mypetchicken.com/Health_and_Sanitation-Diatomaceous_Earth__1_lb_bag-P147.aspx

 

[SandraMort]

I understand that you can't eat non food grade de, but what about for the chickens to dustbathe in?

 

[patandchickens]

Actually non-food-grade DE would probably be safer to eat than to use for dusting

(I am not suggesting you eat it, of course, and in any case it would be hard to eat it without also breathing some

)

The main problem with it is the needlelike sharp crystals of silica that do Bad Things to your respiratory tract, and the respiratory tract of your fellow vertebrates such as chickens. The effects are not necessarily immediate (tho they can be)... long-term exposure can cause, like, certain cancers.

Use the food grade stuff.

Pat

 

[Dustoff79]

Quote:
It will depend on which type, the DE that is sold for use as swimming pool filter medium should never be used. the key is to the amount of amorphous silica (good) or crystalline silica (bad). crystalline silica is the result of the processing done and is very harmful if breathed.

Some DE has natural pyrethrins added and should not be eaten but can be used for insect control and dust bathing.

Please read the articles added previously or more info on www.dirtdoctor.com or google for this article, it is very good even being over 15 years old.


"The IPM Practitioner
Monitoring the Field of Pest Management
Volume XIV, Number 5/6, May/June 1992
DIATOMACEOUS EARTH FOR PEST CONTROL.
By William Quarles"

 

[Southernbelle]

What about Stall Dri? I read somewhere that it is mostly DE and some kind of clay compound. Can chickens dust bathe in it?

 

[Swamp Roo]

Powdered "free" silica is not in and of itself toxic. Silicone Dioxide (SiO2) is actually pretty inert at room temperatures. However breathing free silica over the long term can cause all sorts of respiratory issues because of it's physical characteristics, chief among them being silicosis (similar to asbestosis). The resulting scaring can cause decreased lung function, which if severe enough can obviously lead to death. As a potter, it is something I have to be aware of. While I don't put on a hazmat suit just to look into a bag of pottery material, but I sure as heck put on a respirator (not a cheap face mask) if I'm mixing clay or measuring out glaze ingredients. Now I'm not saying that you will never have problems if you inhale a few Milligrams of silica every once in a while, or that you definitely will have problems if you purposely inhale a Kilogram a week. Some people just don't do well, while others do. Same thing with smoking, one smoker who consumed 3 packs a day for 50 years has squeaky clean X-rays, while the next person smoked for a couple of years 30 years ago, and is now in treatment. Go figure. Now it is my understanding (I do not KNOW this) that the DE used in pool filters is chemically treated, and actually IS toxic. I also know that DE filters were/are used in the aquarium trade, and some of the aquarium critters are pretty sensitive, but I don't know if they use pool DE or not. Bottom line is if you get some incidental exposure such as driving down a dry dirt road, it should not be a big deal if you don't already have lung issues. If you shuffle through chicken litter that has lots of free silica in it day in and day out for the next 20, 30, 40, or more years, I would wear a respirator. The truth is that breathing in copious amounts of just about any fine particulate matter over the long term can cause problems. Everything in moderation. Be safe and get food grade, it's just not worth the potential risks to you, your family, or your chickens.

Swamp

 

[SandraMort]

Then why does the feed store sell it with the poultry supplies?

 

[freshegg]

I got safebrand DE talked to the company and they say its not food grade but nothing in it harmful. I dusted my chickens, turkeys,cats and dogs with it and they are all fine. this was about a month or 2 ago.
Quote:

 

[Anny]

You can order DE online or from members on this website.

Do any of the stores around you carry Stall Dry? It contains DE and Clay.

 

[Southernbelle]

Quote:
I've heard of Stall Dri, our local TSC carries it, but is it safe? I know it has DE in it, but you run into the same question. It's probably not food grade, so is it safe?