Having a lot of trouble finding DE

[patandchickens]

If you can get it anywhere, likely it will be thru feedstore or co-op (possibly special order), or if you want it for the coop not for dusting on the birds themselves you can "punt" and get any other kind of stall powder which will do similar things and actually some of them *contain* DE.

But honestly, it is not like this is something you gotta gotta have. Only a minority of people in the world use DE in raising chickens. Good management is perfectly-well enough, *without* DE

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Steergirl]

Quote:
If I can't find it I will use a stall refreshener but where I live you have to have something. Even with weekly cleanings the heat and humidity make it stank and harder to clean up. Our summers are 103 with 70% humidity!

 

[MeowCluckBark]

garden and feed stores here carry food grade DE. The bigger the bag the cheaper it is per lb. FOr example, at one store here a box that is 1.5 lbs is $10 but a 50# bag is $36. That's just our pricing :\\ But I heard you don't need much and a big bag will last you a very long time.

 

[ittibittirainbow11]

Ok so as promised I found it. The brand is called Safer the SKU is 587-087. The price $8.97 (keep in mind prices may differ) for a 4lb. bag. But I'm not too sure about the stuff really.
The Active Ingredients are... By Wt.
Silicon Dioxide from diatomaceous earth ......77.69%
Other ingredients ........................................22.31%
I can't tell you what the "other" ingredients are. They didn't elaborate. I'd look up the product on their web site. I really wouldn't get it if your going to use it around animals as it has a warning on it sating just that.
Then again when I typed: diatomaceous earth food grade into the search on amazon it popped up. I just don't know

Well I hope this helped at least some. If not, I tried.

 

[Celtic Chick]

Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...d+grade&sprefix=diatomaceous+earth+food+grade

 

[Patricia Jane]

My local feed store carries it. I believe Lowe's Hardware carries it if you have one around but make sure (as everyone else has said)it's FOOD GRADE. I swear by it. It works great and lasts quite a long time.

 

[TouchO'Lass]

I live in orchard country and they spray the trees with it every year, so all our Ag supply places carry it, or so I'm told. (My girls are still in the brooder)

Good luck!

 

[ladybug99]

I had trouble finding it at first as well....I finally found it in my garden section of the feed store... they were selling it as ant control.. and they had no idea about what I was going to use it for.... it is food grade but I just use it in the coop to dry things up, dust the nesting boxes and pour some in thier dust bathing holes. Works like a charm too

 

[lovebabychicks]

Your local swimming pool store should carry DE powder.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
This is almost certainly NOT food-grade. (Safer is a brand of insecticidal products for plants; and the non-food-grade stuff is generally a lot cheaper). Insecticidal versions are almost always NON-food grade.

Ditto with swimming pool stuff, it is NOT food grade.

The reason this matters is that the NON-food-grade stuff is a known carcinogen; the food grade stuff is no worse for you than any other dust like road dust ie. you don't want to breathe it when you can avoid it but it's not so bad.

Pat