diatomaceous earth

[rollinrockell]

I just switched to a grower / starter by Modesto mills for my 5wk/6k old chicks.I was originally using the scratch and peck starter but they started to eat too much for me to get it because i have to special order it and it takes weeks. The Modesto mills has diatomaceous earth in it which i know is suppose to help rid worms. will this actually rid or prevent worms or do i still need to worm them? so far there has been no signs of worms. thanks

 

[Judy]

It is there to prevent worms from hatching out and growing in the feed, not in your chickens.

 

[enola]

It is there to prevent worms from hatching out and growing in the feed, not in your chickens.

X 2

 

[rollinrockell]

OK thank you I must have misunderstood what I was reading then

 

[RJSorensen]

I am not an expert in this field, but it is my understanding that diatomaceous earth (DE) does not function as we chicken fanciers would wish, once it gets wet. As long as it is in a dry state, I believe it to be of use, but once it is or has become wet, its effectiveness is diminished. I see it, DE used as an anti-caking agent in farm feeds, it will pickup and hold moisture. I do not know of it being used to thwart 'bugs' in feed. Should that be the case, I would recommend using a brand that is 'bug' free.

DE seems to bring out the political party stance of, pro/con. One or the other…there are as many for its use, as there against its use. I use it in my dust tubs for the birds to bath in, little else. Without the use of an electron scanning microscope, I don't know how to prove, nor disprove it is of use to us in the keeping of chickens. If there is by chance, someone here who does know, and not just repeating what someone else said… I would very much like to hear that which they have to say.

Best to all and your birds,

RJ

 

[enola]

I have never used DE. But, I have read enough statements from people on this site that used DE for very long periods of time thinking the DE was protecting their flock. Then they start noticing a chicken dropping dead here and there, suddenly the rest of thhe flock is taking forever to molt, egg production is down, hens are getting thin, messy vents start showing up, diarrhea is common and appetites disappear.

Some of us old timers will ask when the hens were last wormed. A lot of people will reply, we feed them DE, so we don't think it is worms...........

I don't know of any scientific studies that cover the actual effects of worming with DE, maybe some one on here does, but I am not going to waste my time looking either.

 

[rollinrockell]

Ok just wanted to make sure. scratch and peck lists theirs as :"Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth is used in many ways, most notably as a natural way to prevent and treat parasites in poultry and other animals. Studies have shown that feeding DE to poultry may improve both egg production, egg weight, and the general health of your birds. It can also be used as an external dust to prevent and kill mites." but the medesto milling company doesn't list theirs that way so it was all confusing. When should I worm them or are they too young? They weill soon be 6 and 7 weeks. thank you for the help.

 

[Judy]

I've been requesting references for years to substantiate that DE is useful against worms internally. No one has offered anything yet, nor has an occasional Google turned anything up. It's a drying and anti caking agent. I'm probably being a little snide saying it kills worms in feed, since it's true that it's legitimately there as a drying and anti caking agent.

Interestingly, it does kill garden worms on plants - those little green ones on broccoli, etc. Evidently it only works on soft bodied insects because it sure won't touch things like stinkbugs.

 

[eduardo domingu]

http://www.sistemasagroecologicos.co/art2/2 Articulo_revista[2]diatomea def..pdf


You can read this article, remenber taht the main mines in the word are in latine countries, therefore the most articles about DE are in Spanish.

 

[eduardo domingu]

please, write piamonte llanero diatomeas in google and you can read an article about worns and diatomaceous earth in intestine.