do you use DE ?

[ladykbug]

Was wondering if anyone uses Diatomaceous Earth ?
How and to what extent ?
How old do chicks need to be before I could use it with them ?

I've read a bit about it, but can't seem to find how much to use in feed, in their dust bath, etc..... I have some I bought to get rid of ants in the house (worked GREAT !!) and want to use it as a pest & worm control for my chickens

 

[A.T. Hagan]

DE is worthless as a wormer. As you have already discovered it does have some value for controlling ants and in some cases flies in areas where it can be kept dry and powdery.

I use the stuff in my feed room to powder the floor around my feed cans to deter roaches, ants, and weevils. Use it in my nest boxes to deter ants for which it works well and it may have some value for deterring mites that may try to hide in the nest litter. A little mixed into a dust bath may have some value, but I'm not sure if that has ever been positively proven.

I do use the stuff because for some applications it works well, but it's not the wonder stuff that some promote it for. I don't believe it does anything at all for internal pests and has only limited affects on external pests such as lice and mites. Does work well for ants, feed weevils, and roaches where it can be kept dry and powdery.

 

[ButchGood]

I haven't used it yet but I plan on it using it exactly as A.T. described. I use it in my vegetable garden with limited success.

 

[ScottLovelandCO]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth