has anyoe used Diatomaceous ?

[Hunterlauren93]

My chickens have lice. I tried the whole lice shampoo stuff that i read on the thread on here. How do you use it for chickens? Where do you put it? Also what else do yall use it for?

 

[Judy]

Sevin is the preferred treatment. DE will not kill an infestation.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

 

[speckledhen]

Diatomaceous Earth is not a shampoo. Your thread title and the word "shampoo" confused me a bit. If your birds already have lice, you can try to get food grade Diatomaceous Earth (not regular DE!), but you'd best get poultry dust or Sevin Dust and nip it in the bud quicker. DE will kill lice, yes, but it's expensive and harder to find than the other. Pet stores also carry a lice/mite spray for parrots if you have only a few birds.


ETA: When I bought the late great Hawkeye, he came complete with a bad lice infestation. All I used was food grade DE in his bedding in the quarantine dog kennel and on him and it killed them all, so it does work, but if you have more than a few birds, it may be best to use something else if the lice have a foothold.

 

[Crack N' Egg]

I use DE often, but I think once you have an infestation you need something stronger to get rid of it. DE is a good preventative. Sevin is a good tx for your chickens.

 

[edselpdx]

Quote:
x2

 

[Nicole01]

Sevin dust would be a much better choice. DE is a preventive and Sevin dust is a pesticide and will kill the lice much faster. Good luck!

 

[Hunterlauren93]

Quote:
I know its not a shampoo, i used a cat lice shampoo. I wanted to know what people use Diatamaceous for as well. I only have 6 chickens.

 

[Hunterlauren93]

Also, if it says for us not to inhale it, isnt it bad for chickens? How much do you put on chickens?

 

[speckledhen]

You should never inhale any powdery substance, even wheat flour. Diatomaceous Earth is a very, very fine fossil shell flour and if you get a snootful of anything like that, it can be harmful. It's not poisonous, per se.

I put some in an old parmesan cheese shaker can, then I dust their tushes, under the wings and under the hackle feathers and let them go, doesn't take much at all.

 

[Mike & Baby Chicken]

Great info!! Need to bookmark this thread... hopefully our girls never get lice, but just in case!! THANKS!