How Much DE (Diatomaceous Earth) Should I Feed My Chickens

[islandchickens]

Thank you for the good tips on DE!

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

yes it can be added to feed BUT.. only food grade.. DE

It's added to grains to KILL INSECTS, and not as a food supplement for the animals eating the grain

It had to be given a "food grade" rating because it's also used in grain for human consumption, and there is no way to remove it​

 

[Medicine Man]

I read often on here people adamantly claim that there is no benefit to using DE in their feed, but a few nutrition experts whose opinions and practices I glean from highly recommend it. I think really that there a lot of outlandish claims of DE being some magical cure-all and that brings on the detractors. Oh well. I don't claim to be an expert, I just try to learn from those who I believe know their stuff. One thing for sure, my chickens' poop is not the runny mess that "bird poop" typically is, but nice and well-formed little logs like Dr. Oz would be proud of and it doesn't stink nearly as much either. Even my peeps drop the cutest little turds and I recently "rescued" a fledgling pigeon and fed my peep food to it - the poopies went from runny, messy bird-like poops to nice and well-formed turds. A good looking turd is a sign of a healthy bird.

The generally recommended inclusion limit for DE is....(going on an uncertain memory) 1 or 2% by weight, not volume. You can Google it easily enough, just keep in mind that generally any ingredient(s) discussed are more appropriately discussed in terms of weight, as a percentage of the entire food, not by volume, so hopefully you might have access to a gram scale, or "know a guy" with one.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I read often on here people adamantly claim that there is no benefit to using DE in their feed, but a few nutrition experts whose opinions and practices I glean from highly recommend it

Got any links to their claims or scientific data as to why they think a totally inert material could somehow be beneficial to eat?​

 

[gale65]

Quote:
That would make an awesome signature line.

As for it being inert, I don't think anyone claims it has any nutritional value. I don't know how it is supposed to work though. I only use it in our rabbits' litter boxes right now but plan to mix it with the sand we are going to put in the coop and I suppose they'll eat some of it while picking through the sand.

 

[Cockaleeky]

I put a large cupful of DE into a 28lb mix of corn, sunflower seeds & layers pellets
which lasts about two-three weeks. I also dust the nesting boxes and coop wood shavings with
about 1/2 cup after each weekly change. I use Dyna-a-mite spray
for the perches and their legs to keep scaly leg mites away. My 12 rescue hens, aged
1 to 5 yrs, are free-range for about two hours a day, but are otherwise
penned in a large roomy space. (I can't let them out all day- I would have no
veggies whatsoever!). They appear very healthy, the pen doesn't smell,
no sign of body mites nor intestinal problems when one has to be dispatched and we do
an autopsy. I get 4 to 9 eggs a day - not bad for mostly older girlies with a relaxed lifestyle.
I also eat a teaspoonful two or three times a week. Great for your nails/hair. Been doing
it for 2 years now with no ill effects, only good ones.

 

[BoltonChicken]

This could go on all week.

For more information on this subject go look at:

http://www.richsoil.com/diatomaceous-earth.jsp

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Scientific Evidence

There is no available scientific evidence that supports the health claims about diatomaceous earth.

Dr. Risk Rasby, professor of Animal Science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, states that although diatomaceous earth is known to kill insects, its effect on intestinal parasites in animals has not yet been reported.

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5644674_human-nutritional-benefits-diatomaceous-earth.html

There have been 4 or 5 scientific studies and the data consistently show that diatomaceous earth does not kill worms in goats although one study did show that at a very high level (5% of the diet), it had a slight effect.

http://www.scsrpc.org/SCSRPC/Publications/part5.htm

Given that the level of dust is already quite high in barns, diatomaceous earth does not seem appropriate when the animals are fed indoors.

The main motivation for adding diatomaceous earth to rations should not be to control internal parasites. If it is to be used, it is important to use non-calcined diatomaceous earth and without additives for insecticide use

http://eap.mcgill.ca/agrobio/ab370-04e.htm

According to Anne Zajac, DVM, PhD, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blackburg, VA, “…there have been several studies done by parasitologists in different parts of the country that have found no beneficial effect to feeding it or offering it as mineral.”

http://www.motesclearcreekfarms.com/asp/articles/DE.asp​

 

[PHarris985]

Quote:
That would make an awesome signature line.

As for it being inert, I don't think anyone claims it has any nutritional value. I don't know how it is supposed to work though. I only use it in our rabbits' litter boxes right now but plan to mix it with the sand we are going to put in the coop and I suppose they'll eat some of it while picking through the sand.

That is what I do. I have sand in the coop and love it. I don't mind scooping because I don't have the smell. I also add a little DE to the sand, I figure it can't hurt.

 

[southerndesert]

I use it in coop, nest boxes, and dust bathing area as well as a small amount in the food to control insect pests, if a few surprise good things happen as well GREAT!

It does work to help in insect control for me for sure.