Hi all! I made a total newbie mistake & now I'm worried about my girls. I was just reading this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=216030 I accidentally used that DE (called Concern). I took it out & it was in there for only about 9 hours. But I'm worried now that they've been exposed to it. Should I wash them off since it was in their dust bath & they were in it? Not sure what else I might need to do.
I bought my DE from a feed store and made sure to ask for the Food Grade DE. Even with the Food grade stuff, it says not more than 2% of their intake. I don't use it on my chickens, just the plants that they may come in contact with. Plus, as windy as it is, I use it in the garden which is less than 50 feet from their yard. When we lived in Fort Worth, we had a neighbor who sprayed her yard on a windy day while we were at school. We came home and let our rabbit play in the back yard like we usually did. The next day we went to get him out of his hutch again, and he was dead. She called us TWO days later to tell us, "Don't let your rabbit out. It was windy when I sprayed and some got in your yard too." All 3 of us kids loved that rabbit. The only good news I can offer you, is that usually DE and certain other dusting chemicals aren't as strong as the sprays. There is a Garden Sevin dust that isn't as strong as the other Sevin dust, but they look so much alike and neither made me feel like they were safe for the chickens. I hope you caught it in time and that your birds will be okay. Good luck!
Hmm, you might give them a wipe down with a damp cloth if they'll have time to dry. Hopefully they'll be fine and you won't have to worry too long!
The Concern DE says you can use it on pet and animal bedding for fleas, etc. It is meant to be used in appllications like this, not in diatomaceous filters. I am not saying it is food grade, but I don't see how it will hurt the chickens. With any of it, you don't want them to inhale too much. I think I would rather just use dirt and ashes in their dust bath.
It seems you've panicked over nothing, since it's pure DE http://www.organic-gardening-shop.com/Agorganics/Product_Details.aspx?ProductID=170 Ingredients: Active: Silicon dioxide from fresh water diatoms 85% Elemental oxides: 10% Inert: Water 5%
Thanks so much for all of your support. They seemed just fine this morning so I am glad to know I didn't put something in there really harmful. No more in the dust from now on anyway!
I've found a good use for DE to be sprinkling a little inside coop, laying down old newspaper, covering all with pine wood chips. I still use food grade though... carried in 40-lb bags by our kinda-local grainery & lasts long time. I don't use it in their run or free-range area because I WANT there to be lots of crickets & other crunchy protein bugs out there for 'em!
