Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth Have some ?

[7L Farm]

Ahh!! A new day & lets bash DE. I always throw this in these threads because its a positive about DE .I put the stuff on ant beds in my garden & the ants disappear yea for DE. I'll keep it around just because I don't use any chemicals here at my farm but on a more serious note is this all the stuff is good for there's gotta be something else.I use it in my coops when I clean them out I springle some on the ground & in their nesting boxes thinking it will help kill mites or other little bugs crawling around in their. Seems to me if it gets rid of ants it would get rid of other bugs as well. Am I wrong for doing this ? Guess, I'll keep doing it because my chickens seem to be bug free thus far.

 

[mong7769]

I know that is is very effective on fleas. I had a friend recently who's inside cats got an infestation. She thinks from an open window and a stray cat sitting on the other side of the old screen. She bombed, she did all sorts of stuff and the end application of DE in out of the way places is what finally cleared it up. I have to say that I will be using it in my yard and in my coop on the floor to try to minimize fleas and mites. I know that we had a bad flea problem at the tail end of last year (which resulted in ripping up the last piece of carpet still left in our house--YEAH!) and I couldn't find any because people had bought it all. I'm hoping my local feed store carries it. In Northern Ohio fleas are really bad, which is why my kids don't have a sand box (a big bummer because I LOVED mine growing up) although if the DE works well, I may consider letting them have one and just mixing it in.

 

[Bullitt]

worms are active and reproductive around the full moon silly!!! google it

It seems that DE is not effective for internal parasites.


I did as you suggested and I did an Internet search. It seems you are partly correct. The information I found suggests starting parasite treatment one week before a full moon and continuing the treatment for a month to cover the entire reproductive cycle. If you do a treatment for a week, you are not totally getting rid of the parasite. The larvae can still grow.


"There are plenty of herbs to aid in a critter free system. It is important to stay with a parasite cleanse for at least four weeks, which is the reproductive cycle of most parasites. This takes care of the eggs, larvae and the adult worms. Since parasites reproduce during the full moon, starting a cleanse a week before the full moon can increase efficacy. Parasites are the first to get the nutrients from food, since they are in the digestive system. It is best to take parasite-cleansing herbs before a meal, this way they are getting anti-parasitic herbs instead of food."

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

No one has said it WON'T kill insects.
That is one of the very FEW things it's been proven to do.

Presenting the facts is not "bashing".
It's simply the truth

Ahh!! A new day & lets bash DE. I always throw this in these threads because its a positive about DE .I put the stuff on ant beds in my garden & the ants disappear yea for DE. I'll keep it around just because I don't use any chemicals here at my farm but on a more serious note is this all the stuff is good for there's gotta be something else.I use it in my coops when I clean them out I springle some on the ground & in their nesting boxes thinking it will help kill mites or other little bugs crawling around in their. Seems to me if it gets rid of ants it would get rid of other bugs as well. Am I wrong for doing this ? Guess, I'll keep doing it because my chickens seem to be bug free thus far.

 

[BlueBob]

I have yet seen one study that says that DE controls internal parasites. What I have seen is a very good sales pitch that does not have the science to back it.

Here is a quote from Dr. Christine King


Diatomaceous earth
"One of the most commonly used ingredients in these natural dewormers is diatomaceous earth or
diatomite. Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring, soft, chalky rock that, when crushed,
yields a fine, light-grey powder. It consists of fossilized remains of tiny hard-shelled algae called
diatoms. Owing to their high content of crystalline silica, diatomite is mildly abrasive.
In fact, that is the mechanism by which diatomite is purported to kill intestinal parasites. It is
believed that the abrasive micro-surfaces of the diatomite cut the outer membranes of the
parasites like thousands of tiny blades. But I question that premise. Industrial-grade diatomite
has a high silica content and is used as a mild abrasive. However, food-grade diatomite has a
much lower content of crystalline silica, so it is minimally abrasive.
And even if the abrasion theory is valid, then what does this stuff do to the delicate lining of
the digestive tract? While I could not find even one scientific study which validates the use of
diatomite against internal parasites in horses or other livestock, my search did turn up several
articles documenting the health risks of chronic exposure to diatomite. When inhaled, it causes
inflammation of the airways and, with chronic exposure, even some fibrosis (scarring).
Even more concerning was a study which showed that chronic oral intake of diatomite can
damage the intestinal lining, altering its absorptive properties and making it more permeable to
potentially harmful substances. So, it seems to me that the practice of using diatomaceous earth
as a daily dewormer for horses is either useless but harmless or useful but harmful, depending on
the grade of diatomite used.''


Chris

Quote:


Science instead of sales hype


Look closely, and you'll find all the sites that SAY it works just so happen to SELL it too.
Search the topic here, and you'll see it comes up a couple of times a month, if not more.
The science just doesn't support the claims made

Thanks for setting me straight.

 

[nsp135282]

The articles I have read that say it will not kill internal parasites in chickens refer to the fact that the DE is ground up in the gizzard and thus the sharp crystals that are supposed to kill the parasites are destroyed rendering them ineffective. If so, then it won't hurt the chickens so what's the problem. Others have claimed for years that it will rid all stock of internal parasites. I agree that I have found that mixing with the litter really does control flies and the birds seem to love dusting in it. I have also read that the DE dust can be injurious to the lungs but I have found no symptoms of this in the three years I have been using it. So the debate will continue. I've found no vet or scientific studies to refute or substantiate any of the claims. I use it and like it.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

In it they state, "DE had no effect
on the number of hens infected, FEC, or worm burdens. However, body
mass and egg production were greater in hens consuming the DE diets.
These hens also laid larger eggs with thicker shells. The results of this
study suggest that there is no evidence that DE is an effective treatment
to control gastrointestinal parasitic infections of free-range laying hens.

Quote:
My test results came in today and is proof about why worming them is so important. I had heard a little gurgling and hoarse sounding noises and did wazine a couple of weeks ago, and I plan to do valbazen when it comes in, in a few days. I thought they had respiratory issues and all of that, and it turns out they are grossly infected with parasites.
I am sort of swing toward "natural" treatments and I just wanted to add that they had been on DE, garlic, kelp and cayenne daily since I got them. It didn't really help.
I emailed the state and don't know what this may mean if I choose to go thru with NPIP next year. I don't know if anything listed will prevent me from doing it, they made no mention of doing anything other than the listed treatment but didn't say how long to treat or whatever.

 

[7L Farm]

No one has said it WON'T kill insects.
That is one of the very FEW things it's been proven to do.

Presenting the facts is not "bashing".
It's simply the truth

No problem here if it will keep killing bugs I'm good to go with DE>

 

[omegorchards]

Why are there two versions of the same study? Are you saying that companies that sell DE are presenting the study differently?

The study did say it was good for treating mites and when eaten by chickens made them eat more feed, grow larger, and produce larger eggs with thicker shells.

Do you agree with any of that? Or do you just disagree with DE as a treatment for internal parasites?

I add DE to my wet ration. It improves my hens laying rate and shell strength. Ive no clue about parasites.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

It's 2 seperate abstracts by the same people, with basically the same results

When they tested it for mites, they DIDN'T feed it to the birds. They dusted them

Since there were few controls on this "test" they can't really say the DE CAUSED any of the benefits, since just the fact that the one group DID eat more of the feed offerered would account for both the larger size and more eggs.

Notice the testing was on "free range" birds, so there were no controls on what they ate while free ranging

As I said in the beginning, the only proven uses for DE pertaining to animals are as a mechanical insecticide and an absorbant.

http://ps.fass.org/content/90/7/1416.abstract

Here's the entire abstract:

Quote:

2. Having possibility, capability, or power.