Diatomaceous Earth

[mayoman]

Has anyone used this with their chickens, fowl?

 

[roostersandhens]

I tried it once, and my flock refused to use it.

 

[TwoCrows]

to BYC!

DE is good to use around the coop floors, nest boxes, powdering up the roost bars, dusting birds with mites, ect... It's hard rock consistency is sharp enough to cut the exoskeleton of external parasites. There is great controversy as to whether it works internally on internal parasites. I personally don't think it does kill internal bugs, but DE is supposed to help with strong egg shells when taken internally. Use only food grade DE.

Great to have you aboard and enjoy BYC!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I've used Diatomaceous Earth before. It works okay, but the flakes in it kill the living mites, not the eggs. In that way, it isn't so helpful. I would recommend using Ivermectin, it intoxicates the chickens blood so when the mites and they're eggs try and suck the chickens blood, it poisons them.

 

[mayoman]

I agree. I am a strong believer in the benefits of DE. I use it on the first of each month in my coops and also dust my dogs and donkeys. It works on fleas, ticks, and flies too. Kills red ants too! Food grade is the only one I use. I live in a flood zone along the Suwannee River. When it crests, I apply DE with a garden spreader and Voila...no mosquitos.

 

[mayoman]

good advice. Thanks

 

[TwoCrows]

I agree. I am a strong believer in the benefits of DE. I use it on the first of each month in my coops and also dust my dogs and donkeys. It works on fleas, ticks, and flies too. Kills red ants too! Food grade is the only one I use. I live in a flood zone along the Suwannee River. When it crests, I apply DE with a garden spreader and Voila...no mosquitos.

No mosquitos?? I will HAVE to try this. Thanks for the advice!!

 

[mayoman]

No mosquitos?? I will HAVE to try this. Thanks for the advice!!

Oh yeah, that is why I started this thread. We operate a small animal rescue and almost every time we get a new fur-ever pal, he or she is loaded with fleas, ticks, mites, etc. When dusted with DE, you can just stand back and watch the parasites fall off. We add some each month to our birds favorite dusting spots. It works!! Supposed to work for people too but when I tasted it, it was like drinking mud. Never mind

 

[TwoCrows]

I know the stuff works on fleas, ticks, etc..but mosquitoes? How does spreading it out on the ground repel mosquitoes in the air? I would imagine they wouldn't want to land on it or eat it, but the skeeters will still fly...?

 

[mayoman]

I know the stuff works on fleas, ticks, etc..but mosquitoes? How does spreading it out on the ground repel mosquitoes in the air? I would imagine they wouldn't want to land on it or eat it, but the skeeters will still fly...?

Sorry, I was misleading. The mosquitoes in the air were unaffected by DE. They still required the bug zapper . But after "dusting", the birds were less bothered and every morning we could see many, many dead mosquitoes in the botton of the coop. I don't know if the juvenile mosquitoes ate it or not, but very quickly, they were gone. I used to see the fowl covered in mosquitoes, and after this I didnt.