Diatomaceous earth question

[alaskaducks]

Hi all! I want to purchase a pretty large quantity of DE. I found that DE used for swimming pool filters is less expensive than the "food grade" DE. Does anyone know if this would be okay to use or do I need to purchase food grade? Thank you!

 

[MadamPoofyBrow]

I would never use anything but food grade for chickens. It is a lot more expensive, but I wouldn't risk it.

 

[Amiga]

You want food grade. The other stuff is really noxious, bad for everyone's lungs. Ick. Food grade. You'll live to be glad you used the good stuff. That is an overstatement, but really, don't mess around with that pool filter stuff.

 

[alaskaducks]

thanks for your responses. food grade it is. i can get 50 lbs for $57. thanks again.

 

[Amiga]

I find I don't need to use much of it at a time - I have fourteen ducks, and a little over 100 square feet of night pen. Oh, and I garden. And I am a third of the way through my 50 pound bag I bought a few years ago.

 

[mastiffs07]

What do I use de for? Do I just sprinkle around?

 

[Amiga]

DE is usually used to prevent trouble from bugs. It is said to kill mites and other arthropods (love that word - it includes insects, spiders, mites, all kinds of things) that can be pests in the livestock shelter. You don't want to inhale it, but it's fairly benign stuff.

I carefully sprinkle a bit around where the wall and the floor meet, and under the watering station, under the bottom bale of shavings, tiny tight little places that bugs may want to congregate. It gets into their breathing apparatus and chokes them, I believe.

It is for the ducks' environment, I don't put it on the ducks due to the respiratory concerns.

 

[mastiffs07]

DE is usually used to prevent trouble from bugs.  It is said to kill mites and other arthropods (love that word - it includes insects, spiders, mites, all kinds of things) that can be pests in the livestock shelter.  You don't want to inhale it, but it's fairly benign stuff.

I carefully sprinkle a bit around where the wall and the floor meet, and under the watering station, under the bottom bale of shavings, tiny tight little places that bugs may want to congregate.  It gets into their breathing apparatus and chokes them, I believe.

It is for the ducks' environment, I don't put it on the ducks due to the respiratory concerns.

Thanks for the reply. I have a large bag of food grade de and didn't know the use of it except that I should have it