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

[aart]

Am i wrong that you can worm your girls with 1 tablespoon of DE per bird in their food once a month ?

Short answer...you are wrong.....DE does not kill internal parasites .

There are 24 pages here of DE discussion that will explain the whys and why nots...start reading

 

[bevis]

Short answer...you are wrong.....DE does not kill internal parasites .

There are 24 pages here of DE discussion that will explain the whys and why nots...start reading

there seems to be as many threads on the web saying that it does as there are that says it does not.
so im thinking there is no concrete scientific proof either way.

 

[mistycolleen]

wow this thread has my head spinning! very interesting, all points and arguments but now I'm at a total loss on weather to use it or not.
i do find tho that with anything "natural", "organic" , "new" that there is always a ton of controversy. and i do know that there is nothing new about DE but that its just getting a ton of attention in recent years. so no to bedding, especialy deep litter? now with the feed aspect, you who do use it.... are you using it in each bag that you buy? are you stocking up and for long term buggy defense you use? or is it something you are adding to their feed as you feed them? i do think regardless this is something i will be adding to their dust bath but i love to hear both sides of everything. and this thread is awesome for both everyones opinons and point of views!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Would there be any benefit or risk putting DE in fermented feed?

Edited: OK, let me put it this way, maybe someone will answer.

I put DE in my FF, will it kill or harm my chicks if I feed it to them?

The truthful answer is YES and NO.

Yes, DE may well harm your chickens, and no, DE will definitely do nothing toward keeping your flock mite free.

In that case DE represents the worst of both worlds.

 

[centrarchid]

DE in FF might make for better turds at cleanup time.

 

[lazy gardener]

Birds on FF already have better turds.

 

[aart]

DE in FF might make for better turds at cleanup time.

First thing I thought when I saw this is what LG said below......

Birds on FF already have better turds.

......and...something about them not stinking.....

 

[centrarchid]

We must elaborate on how we characterize turds.

 

[centrarchid]

Stink factor

Stickiness

Density upon drying

Integrety as produced

Integrity when dried

Value im soil remediation

 

[lazy gardener]

Poo from FF fed birds excel in all counts. Only on a chicken thread is the quality of poo discussed with such detail. I drive by a pile of manure, and immediately consider how it would benefit my yard if it were sitting in my yard! But, my birds are producing such high quality and quantity poo now, I don't have to import it.