Food grade Diatomaceous Earth question...

[TracyLK]

Will it say it right on the container or do I have to look for certain contents? Also, any good websites to buy it from? Should it be sprinkled in their run, coop, nest boxes, and food?

 

[suki'smom]

Yes it usually says right on the package. I get mine from Ebay, it will also say in the item description if it is food grade. I feed it 3-7 days in a row per month to control worms in my critters. For the chickens, sprinkle it in with fresh shavings as when they dust themselves in the coop it will help take care of all sorts of bothersome insects including mites, fleas, lice and flies. Works best dry so use it in their coop for best results. I do put some outside in the sand in their favorite dusting spot as their not likely to dust bathe when its raining and a few sunny days it will be dry again. Never thought of putting it in the nest boxes but I probably wouldn't as the stuff is fine like flour so very dusty in enclosed spaces.

 

[pjknust]

http://www.internet-grocer.net/diatome.htm

This is where I get mine. Costs about the same to buy it as ship it, but much cheaper in the long run if you buy 50#. I used to buy 10 lb a year, and decided it would be more cost effective to get the 50# bag, coz I use it everywhere!

pam in TX

 

[CarolJ]

The DE I buy has "food grade" written on the front of the package. I've seen it on Amazon and was going to order from them, but then I found it at our local Farmers Coop - so I bought it there since shipping on Amazon was too high, I thought.
Every week or two I sprinkle it in the coop, under the roost, in the nest boxes, along the run, and in their favorite dust bathing places. Occasionally I sprinkle it on their feed. My husband frequently comments about how healthy my chickens look, and I think the DE is part of that. It keeps a lot of pests from bothering them.

 

[clanreed]

Food grade Diatomaceous earth will say Codex grade/rating on the package. Although this is a chemical grading system DE does not work in a chemical way as insecticides and pesticides do. DE works in a purely physical manner to control pests by dehydrating them.

We buy our DE from Azure Standard. If you are in their delivery area, it is very reasonably priced($17 for 50 lbs) http://www.azurestandard.com/

I made a previous post about azure standard here https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=555811

Earthworks is another good website for buying DE, but shipping can get costly depending on where you are. http://www.earthworkshealth.com/

~Shannon

 

[CarolJ]

If you are an Amazon Prime member you can follow this link - and it has free shipping. 10 lbs. for $23.00.

http://www.amazon.com/Grade-Diatoma...BVH8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1313210969&sr=8-2

 

[TracyLK]

Thank you all so much. I am going to check the one semi local place today and if they don't have it I will be ordering it online.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I feed it 3-7 days in a row per month to control worms in my critters

DE doesn't have any effect on internal parasites​

 

[clanreed]

Quote:
DE doesn't have any effect on internal parasites

We have used DE with both our goats and dogs with success.

Our dogs that we raised from birth have never had anything but DE for worming and have proved parasite free in their regular fecal exams. Most pups are born with round worms(dormant eggs from mother are passed on to pups) and we did see evidence of roundworms(dead) in our pups fecal matter after administering DE at 6 weeks of age. We have periodically administered a round of DE to our now adult dogs when we have seen evidence of tapeworms in their feces and they have been eliminated using DE as evidenced by their regular fecal exams.

They key to using DE for internal or external parasites is to understand the lifecycle of the type of parasite you are trying to eliminate. You need to administer DE long enough to kill/eliminate the existing parasites and kill the parasites that hatch from the existing eggs.

As for our goats we use DE internally(free choice) and externally. Fecal exams have been clear. We have occasionally had an issue with mites or lice on the goats at the end of a long winter. We dust their coats well with DE and all is good. The sun reappears in the spring and takes care of the lice and mites for the rest of the year. We also sprinkle DE on their bedding.

We are new to chickens, but plan on using DE in a similar manner for them as needed.

There are published short term studies on the efficacy of DE in livestock that show DE to be as effective as anthelmintics(chemical dewormers).

~Shannon

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

There are published short term studies on the efficacy of DE in livestock that show DE to be as effective as anthelmintics(chemical dewormers

Feel free to show us your source.

I'd love to see actual proof instead of hearsay

All the ones I've seen say it doesn't work

http://www.motesclearcreekfarms.com/asp/articles/DE.asp

According to Anne Zajac, DVM, PhD, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blackburg, VA, “…there have been several studies done by parasitologists in different parts of the country that have found no beneficial effect to feeding it or offering it as mineral.”​