Diatomaceous Earth

[Auntie Clucker]

I have 10 hens. They are all 4.5 months old. I have a few questions about food grade Diatomaceous Earth,

How often do I treat the coop and run areas?
Do I dust directly onto my birds?
Do you feed this to them? If so, how often? The bag says not to exceed 2% of total food, but how often?? Daily?
Can it harm my birds?
What are the benefits?

 

[Mamatomany123]

Can it harm my birds?
Yes

Dont use it. I dont treat for pest unless there are pest. You wouldnt treat yourself for lice if you didnt have it DE is not only bad for your birds but also bad for you.

 

[Auntie Clucker]

Thank you Mamatomany for your reply.

 

[21hens-incharge]

The thing is.....it is added to feed not for bird benefits but to help keep grain mites out of feed.
Manufacturers of feed already add anti mite things to the feed. No need to add there.
DE has to be dry to work on grain mites or at all even. Feeding it to the birds makes it wet inside their bodies therefore it cannot/will not ever treat or prevent internal parasites.

It has yet to be proven to be effective in preventing or treating mites or lice on the birds themselves.

It is however a harsh irritant to lungs. Yes your lungs included.

It becomes airborne very easily and drifts on the breeze increasing its likelihood of inhalation. It also is very damaging to bee colonies.

I do not recommend using it at all.

Treat for KNOWN issues with proven medications/pesticides IF issues arrise. That means if you suspect worms get a fecal float test done. If you suspect mites or lice inspect the birds and use only proven methods.

 

[Auntie Clucker]

Thank you 21hens-incharge for your reply and wisdom. I desire only for my girls to be happy. This is not anything I need, or them.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Thank you 21hens-incharge for your reply and wisdom. I desire only for my girls to be happy. This is not anything I need, or them.

Yup. Happy healthy chickens....and chicken keepers.

DE has been touted on many sites/youtube videos as the be all cure for pretty much everything. It is frustrating that while put out as the best thing since sliced bread there are no studies to prove anything.

I have seen many threads by folks who saw mites and used DE heavily for months with no improvement. They come here when the birds are so drained they are literally dying. Very sad.

 

[aart]

Manufacturers of feed already add anti mite things to the feed.

What is this ingredient?
I know at one time Purina added DE to Flock Raiser due to grain mites.

 

[21hens-incharge]

What is this ingredient?
I know at one time Purina added DE to Flock Raiser due to grain mites.

That is probably what I was recalling.