⠀ Does anyone know...

[unbaked pegga]

I recently read that if you put food grade diatomaceous-earth in your chickens feed it would keep flies away from their poo. Does anyone know if this might be true?:/

 

[cafarmgirl]

DE has no repellant properties so I'm not sure how it would keep anything away. In my own opinion, and experience using the product, DE is vastly over rated.

 

[enola]

The only thing DE can do is break down the exoskeleton of insects. And inorder to do that, it must be kept dry.

Most uses that you read about on the Internet simply are not true.

 

[Bridebeliever]

I mix my DE with my PDZ (stall dry granules) and sprinkle it through out the coop...but that's just cause I'm trying to use it up. I got it to mix with my chickens dust bath and they refuse to use it so in just finding a creative way to use up expensive dust!

 

[DrPatrickBiggs]

Diatomaceous earth is used for mite control in dust baths. To my knowledge, it is not going to help with fly control.

 

[unbaked pegga]

Good to know. It sounded a little far fetched but i thought (and hoped) it might be true. Thanks for taking the time to comment

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I agree with all posters on this. I can't imagine how putting it in feed can help.
That said, I had an old poultryman suggest that there's a possibility that the residue of DE in the feces, may affect the fly larvae if eggs are laid in there. I rather doubt that as well.

 

[enola]

If DE is wet, which it will be in manure, it cannot harm worms or maggots, much less flies.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That was my thought but in summer (when flies are afoot) the feces dries out in minutes or hours. However, I don't think there's enough time for maggots to develop in there either.

 

[enola]

And you never see maggots in dried manure either.