Diatomaceous earth--- Really that harmless?????

[RedDrgn]

Quote:
It's really no worse than ash or any other fine dust. Yes, it can cause eye and respiratory irritation, but so can ash and the very dirt under your feet. Obviously, don't stick your nose in it and try to keep it away from your face in general, but otherwise it's fine if used sparingly - you don't need much and we only sprinkle some on the floor before adding a thick layer of pine shavings in order to help dry out the chicken poop and help cub the bugs.

Also, unless you have a large (shed, barn, etc.) and really well ventilated coop , I'd avoid putting a dust bath in the coop. Chickens kick up a heck of a cloud when they dust bathe and if they do that in a smaller, enclosed area, it can be a respiratory/eye irritation issue for them. Certainly provide a dust bathing area, but I'd put it outside the coop.

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
Easy $$$ walking in the door!

I second that!! They should be promoting products, not telling you it will cause cancer!

Unless they didn't have it...

 

[hamilton3475]

Quote:
Can you tell me how often you use DE and how you use it to control lice and mites?

 

[BlazeJester]

I put it in the feeder as I'm adding feed to help prevent worms (which seems to be every day now... d'oh!!!) and just started to apply it where the girls take their dust baths. I'm sure someone with an artificial dust bath will chime in, but I let my girls free range as much as possible and they've found their happy place. I just added DE to it. I use a 1 cup measure and a $2 fine mesh strainer from WalMart to sprinkle it around. "Dusting" it actually helps keep the powder from flying around, too, since it's just above the ground when I sift.

 

[egg-cellent]

I use the DE food grade powder for all my animals. I sprinkle it in the nest boxes, on the poo on the floor. It helps cut down on any smells. I put it in their food. I put in in my dogs and cats food. I sprinkle it in their dog house. Also in between giving my dogs baths, I sprinkle it on them, especially their bellies. They love getting the extra belly rub.
I have only been using it about a month. But so far, we really like the benefits of it.

Where to purchase. I would think any or most feed stores would sell it. We get it from a local Amish feed store. I think it was under 14.00 for a 50lb bag..

 

[humpbacks1962]

Diatomaceous earth is glass?

Silicon is glass?

He's probably thinking about volcanic ash, which IS little pieces of glass...

 

[egg-cellent]

Silicon dioxide

The chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica (from the Latin silex), is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula SiO2. It has been known for its hardness since antiquity. Silica is most commonly found in nature as sand or quartz, as well as in the cell walls of diatoms.

 

[egg-cellent]

DE is safe. Like I stated before, I have used it on puppies for fleas, never hurt any of them. I used it on the momma of those puppies for fleas, before and after she had the puppies. She had 10 puppies. All 10 are doing well. I use it for my cats, dogs, chickens. I used to use it with my pea fowl and guinea. I have used it on pigs too. I have been using it for about 6 years and I have never seen any ill side affects. Only good, less feas, bugs, mites, and worms.

If anyone has seen any ill affects from using it, please let us know. Do tell us, please post..

Thanks

 

[UrbanChickies]

Hello Everyone,

I have read this entire thread... I have found some little white barely visible little bugs on my chicken, only one of the six. They are sooo tiny, and the only way we noticed them is they were going into her eye so she was shutting her eye. I've posted in other areas on here and we've come the conclusion that they are mites. So, I've been searching for three days to find the safest and natural way to kill these little critters. And I keep coming back to DE. Thank you all for making it clear that there is food grade. I didn't know that until this thread. I a few questions though. How do you apply it to the chicken??? How much and how often?

Thank you,
Arlene

 

[CommonSense106]

Asbestos is also organic!!!, being mined from the ground by the same method. Problem with both is the reaction of the lungs, being unable to process out of the body, surrounding with scar-like tissue, and either can cause cancer & permanent lung damage (very small amounts lead to cancer). Use with great caution and never where it can be breathed, at application or by secondary contact.