Dust bath

[Quail_]

The food grade DE is the one you can safely mix into the sandbath. The foodgrade DE is not carcinogen.

Oh my goddess i though it was the actual DE! That makes me feel a lot better! Thank you!

 

[BDutch]

DE does not kill adult mites and flees. It only kills the young larvae . Therefore its not easy to eliminate a mite or flee infestation with DE.

 

[Debbie292d]

Ohhh, that makes a bit more sense. Ill do more research into it then, thank you!

I've had macaw parrots for over 20 years and I've used Food Grade DE in their cages to keep fruit flies and pantry moths at bay. They each cost around $1.5K so I wouldn't be using anything dangerous around them!

7 years ago we got chickens, and I knew right off the bat they would get mites so started a ritual of bi-monthly or at least monthly sprinkling it in the coop, nest boxes, and running around to the flower beds and garden where they make their dust baths and sprinkle it there too.

Empty parmesan cheese containers make great DE sprinklers.

 

[Mouthpear]

Ohhh, that makes a bit more sense. Ill do more research into it then, thank you!

My apologies. I also forgot to mention that I really do not thing that the difference between food grade and regular DE, has anything to do with how abrasive it is. The diatoms that it is made from are very tiny and no matter how big they get, their general structure says the same. Meaning they don't get any more abrasive the bigger they get.

So I did a quick google search.

"The difference between feed and food grade diatomaceous earth is due to the level of filtration. While both contain less than 1% crystalline silica, food grade contains fewer heavy metals, making it safer for human consumption."

So it is not how abrasive it is, it is the amount of filtration. Kinda like the difference between drinking from the water hose and drinking bottled water.

Not to mention that if food grade DE is more in its filtered more pure concentrated form then wouldn't that mean it is at it's most abrasive.

I would also like to point out that it says "The difference between feed and food grade diatomaceous earth". In general the feed DE is the regular DE. When you go to the feed stores and ask for DE that what they will give you. When you go to the pet stores they will most likely only have food grade DE. You go to the health food store they will only have food grade DE. Point is that the feed stores will give you the less filtered DE because the animals can take it.

Again chickens dig in the dirt and eat the grubs and insects in the dirt. They don't take them to wash off, they just gobble them up. Their digestive track can handle it. So can they handle the less fintered DE.

AND again if it makes your mind more at easy to use food grade DE then by all means do so. I would never fault you for that. I also think that no one else would either. Best to error on the side of caution. Cost wise it is more, but not so much that it will break the bank.

 

[Mouthpear]

Empty parmesan cheese containers make great DE sprinklers.

Nice.

I use the large empty garlic bottles. I would also do a half and half mix, garlic and DE.

 

[Mouthpear]

DE does not kill adult mites and flees. It only kills the young larvae . Therefore its not easy to eliminate a mite or flee infestation with DE.

I would not be too sure about that. Everything I have ever read or seen about DE says that it can and will kill adult fleas and mites. Definitely will kill the larva.

"Diatomaceous earth (DE) can kill active lice, mites, adult fleas, ticks, and other pests when applied correctly. However, you shouldn’t apply diatomaceous earth directly on dogs and cats. And diatomaceous earth isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
https://petfriendlybox.com/resource-center/does-diatomaceous-earth-kill-fleas
Diatomaceous earth does not get rid of flea problems at the source. This means it doesn’t kill flea eggs or prevent flea reproduction. To effectively treat fleas and flea infestations, you’ll need:"

That is just the first thing I found. It is information from a flea med website. LOL

 

[nuthatched]

Isnt diatomaceous earth a carcinogen tho

It is. Osha Class 3, Generally Regarded As Safe if used within minimum exposure.

Hi Hun,
Diatomaceous Earth is a product, I would like to say sent from heaven but don’t want to offend anyone or cross the no religion or politics line.
It’s the fossilised remains of diatoms whatever they are but goodness (?) bless them
It’s natural, kills lots of baddies and, well that’s it really but all in all it’s an, all in all, good chap.
I fill any wood cracks with it after cleaning perches and sprinkle it on the window frames of their hen house. I have even been known to use it in my potager.
Diatomaceous Earth my hero
Hugz

But, unfortunately, it's not good for you or especially your birds to breath. The continuous breathing of fine dust in birds causes scar tissue in the bronchial junction, leading to increased difficulty breathing, respiratory distress and suffocation.
It's barely mediocre for mite and lice control and it's harvesting by strip, i.e open pit mining, which is not environmentally friendly. So, unfortunately, it's not safe, effective or good for the planet.

 

[Mouthpear]

But, unfortunately, it's not good for you or especially your birds to breath.

Um but that is almost everything on the planet. Water. You can't breath water either. That doesn't mean it is bad for you. Heck people have died from breathing coco powder or something like that. Saw it on A 1000 Ways to Die show. Two guys in the food storage were messing around and breathed in cinnamon or something and they both died. It is not the thing that kills you it is the amount (most cases). It is not like the people who use DE are dumping a 5 gallon bucket of it in the coop and baths. And if they literally are they are most likely to have it mixed in with other thing like sand.


It was chocolate!

 

[Loving my girls]

It is. Osha Class 3, Generally Regarded As Safe if used within minimum exposure.

But, unfortunately, it's not good for you or especially your birds to breath. The continuous breathing of fine dust in birds causes scar tissue in the bronchial junction, leading to increased difficulty breathing, respiratory distress and suffocation.
It's barely mediocre for mite and lice control and it's harvesting by strip, i.e open pit mining, which is not environmentally friendly. So, unfortunately, it's not safe, effective or good for the planet.

OMG !!!
I didn’t know that, so it goes against all my principles, I am trying to save the planet rather than contribute to its demise !!!
I have nearly finished my current box and I sure as peas are peas I won’t be buying another.
Thank you so much Nuthatched for this information

 

[Debbie292d]

OMG !!!
I didn’t know that, so it goes against all my principles, I am trying to save the planet rather than contribute to its demise !!!
I have nearly finished my current box and I sure as peas are peas I won’t be buying another.
Thank you so much Nuthatched for this information

Food grade DE is way different and safe. To each their own though. I have two macaw parrots that have had it in their cages for over 20 years and their lungs I know are just fine.

Good Lord, they knew I was typing this apparently, and started screaming to prove it lol.