How do you store your 50# bag of DE?

[HobbyChickener]

DE is new to me for anything other than pool filtering. What all, and why, do you use it for? I also noticed the comment on different grades?

 

[SandraChick]

Pool filtered DE is processed and is poisonous....don't feed it or breather it.

Food grade is used as a parasite killer (both externally and internally).

It's also used as an anticaking agent in things like flour. It's also mixed into feeds to keep bugs out.

Garden type DE often has perythrins mixed in and should also not be eaten...and definitively not used with cats aroudn (perythrin is toxic to cats).

Sandra

 

[tink]

Micki LOL I re-read your message above my question and I realized I miss read flies for fleas!! I was thinking to myself....I didn't know goats had fleas!!! Yikes...sorry thanks for the info
Tink

 

[HobbyChickener]

What are you using the food grade DE for and how are you using it?

 

[Poison Ivy]

Quote:
I gave my chickens a dust bath yesterday coated them head to toe. I dust my coop & nesting boxes with it. Plus I add it to their feed. I will soon be adding it to the horses feed.

 

[Lunachick]

Poison Ivy - how do you measure it out? I'm no good at math and percentages, if I have to think too much about it - it won't get done!

 

[Poison Ivy]

I read on a website that more is better then less with DE. So I mix 5 cups for every 50# of feed for my chickens I guess I will do the same for the horse. I was told that more is better to fight parasites and if less is used your taking a risk its not working and then it takes longer for the birds to become parasite free. With the dust bath I just poured some in a kitty litter pan and held each bird in it and dusted it all over and really good under it's wings. They were looking at me like I was crazy! I also sprinkled a little in the run. But with a 80' x 12' run it would cost me a ton to do it really good. Oh and I read about giving free choice but Ican't see a chicken eating it that way. Plus I keep it in their dusting bins too.

 

[ChickaChickaBoomBoom]

I decided to put my bag of DE in a plastic bin today. I don't think I'll ever get all of it off of me! Quite a mess.

I've been sprinkling it liberally on the bunny poop areas, in the run, and today in my small coop. The main thing for me is that it has been wet the past week (as usual) so it seems to go away after a while. I did add it to their food, and will do the same with the bunnies.

-Dave

 

[Poison Ivy]

I know you should have seen me yesterday. I could have been casper the ghost! I was wearing it as much as the chickens were. LOL I was going to go buy me another plastic bin to put mine in. But thought I better buy 2 if I'm going to start using it with the horses. No way I'm going to carry that stuff back and forth to the house to the stalls. Next time I go buy hay I will buy a 2nd bag to keep down at the stalls. I'm going to make me a duster can as soon as my hubby finishs drinking his coffee up. Wish he would hurry! lol