Dust Bathing? DE?

[keljonma]

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[cgjsmith]

Where do you get DE? do you have to order it or does walmart or tractor supply or a co-op carry it?
I didn't realize the cichs would like to dust till I put my 7 weekers in the "nursery" area the first two hours was spent rolling in the dust it was so funny! C

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

Quote:
I purchase mine from Fresh Water Organics and I have got it on eBay. Some feed stores might carry DE.
http://www.freshwaterorganics.com/

 

[pipermark]

Food Grade DE use - you will hear all sorts of things about DE having to do with internal parasite control. There are no scientific studies to back this up. DE (non-food grade) is very coarse and one of the best natural drying agents on the market. NON-food grade has been scientifically proven to control pests in humiditiess below 60%. The bugs external wax like exoskeleton is scratched by the DE crystals and the basically the moisture is sucked out of them.

Food grade DE while packed full of minerals and a great drying agent, has been finly grounded so it is no longer coarse. This is done so, when used as a feed additive, it will not scratch the eyes or irratate the bowels.

Non-scientfic uses - I have no proof but I believe this to be true based on experience and logic.

1. Great fly and odor control. I use DE liberally on the floor of my coop. I mix it in with the shavings. In the summer I will have flies arround the garbage pailes, backyard but no in the coop. I believe the reason why is the DE dries the excrement out quickly therefor minmizing odor, and odor is what attracts the flies, bottom line, not sure how it works, but I know when to replace the DE and the litter, its when the flies show up in the coop.

2. External/interanal parasite control. There are many parasites that live in the ground that can make our birds ill, worms and things. Mostly if a bird has a strong immuned system they can control them without aid. When the enviornment becomes over run with these parasites , they can overpower even a healthy immune system. The normal way an enviornment gets overun , is when the birds are all pooping in a closed area, like a coop. These are single cell animals or bactera that basically can not surrvie in a dry environment. Therefore the DE in the bedding helps prevent the spreading of these parasites that live are spread via the animals feces.

* you will find websites that quote studies on DE (food grade) against internal parasites, however I contacted the zoo and the university and was told, without doubt, that these studies were not conducted by them and that they had never particapted in or organized a study in regards to food Grade DE and the control of internal parasites. Though the univisity proffessor did point me to a study that had been done using sheep and the results were no different then the control group.

 

[keljonma]

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[SandraChick]

It cost us $15 for a 50# bag.

I only WISH!! I pay that much for shipping. Closest I've found is over 300miles away...so shipping I pay!

Sandra​

 

[keljonma]

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[kysilkies]

>>>>And Penny's dustbathed in my lap

Adds a new meaning to getting a lap dance from a chick!