How much DE and where?

[viktoriacl]

Thanks everyone. For the new guys, it is used to dry up moisture and control odor and flies/insects. I got it at our local Agway here in MA.

 

[Arcane Araucana]

DE is a naturally occuring abrasive sand (ground shells I think). It comes in food grade and pool grade. You always want to use the food grade. I keep some in an old sock for light dusting in the garden, and some in a grated cheese jar for sprinkling in the run, coop and yard. It kills ALL insects, good and bad, not instantly but dead none-the-less, so I use it sparingly in the garden. I also use it in my compost and it is good for the soil. It is an abrasive like breathing ground glass, so I wear a mask whenever I put it down, usually every two weeks or after a rain.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

If you are using it in your garden, use it LOW. Sprinkle it around the base of the plants and the beds Not at the tops of the plants and around the flowers where butterflies, bees and other beneficials may be. It cuts the crap out of slugs!!!!

 

[HHandbasket]

Oh yeah, it's wonderful for controlling slugs and snails! You know what else? It keeps my cat from pooping in my garden beds. Double bonus!

 

[wsdareme]

My local feed store has "pet grade diatomaceous earth". There are instructions on the bag about how much to put in various animals' feeds, etc. Can I safely assume that if it is okay to feed to pets, that it is "food grade"? I'm thinking that it's okay...

 

[dsqard]

Quote:
I would ask them if "pet grade" is the same as food grade. If you can put it in their food it is probably OK but better to ask first.

 

[wsdareme]

Quote:
I would ask them if "pet grade" is the same as food grade. If you can put it in their food it is probably OK but better to ask first.

I did ask them, but they didn't know the answer. Their price is $28.50 for a 50# bag, which is right in the ballpark for food grade DE...

 

[wsdareme]

Quote:
I would ask them if "pet grade" is the same as food grade. If you can put it in their food it is probably OK but better to ask first.

I did ask them, but they didn't know the answer. Their price is $28.50 for a 50# bag, which is right in the ballpark for food grade DE...

Update: The DE they carry turned out to be Perma-Guard Food Chemical Codex Grade (that's the GOOD stuff). I am amazed at how much it cuts down on flies and smell. I've been putting it EVERYWHERE! Horse pens, stalls, coop, run -- great stuff!!!

 

[sharol]

That's the same stuff I found here in Kansas. About the same price, too. I've been putting a little bit (maybe a 1/2 cup of the 8 cups or so of dirt, sand, and ashes mixture) in my 16 day olds' dirt bath. They go crazy over the dirt bath when I put new stuff in it, and they seem to get absolutely filthy.

I absolutely have to get their run finished -- I'm in the process of securing it from predators with hardware wire -- they are flying around the brooder (22x54x22tall) and chest bumping and acting crazy this morning. I think they need more room and a bigger dirt bath. ;-). I can't believe how fast they grow.

Quote:
I did ask them, but they didn't know the answer. Their price is $28.50 for a 50# bag, which is right in the ballpark for food grade DE...

Update: The DE they carry turned out to be Perma-Guard Food Chemical Codex Grade (that's the GOOD stuff). I am amazed at how much it cuts down on flies and smell. I've been putting it EVERYWHERE! Horse pens, stalls, coop, run -- great stuff!!!

 

[sheila3935]

I give my older pullets 19 weeks old in their food everyday since they were 2 months old. Its good for internal worms as well as external bugs. Also good for their eggs shells when they start laying. The health food store where I first started getting it says it helps destress them. Keeps them calmer. I beleive it cause I use it daily and my chickens seem calmer and healthier than my neighbors that doesnt use it.