How much diatomaceous earth should I add?

[MotherJean]

I'll have a small coop and a sandbox of equal size underneath the coop for dustbathing. Size is 5'x4' for both areas. Coop will average 3-6" of wood shavings for litter. Off-hand, can anyone tell me how much DE I should add to both areas? Is a handful too little - a cupful too much? No doubt this question has been asked and answered and I apologize for asking the question, yet again. But, my quick search of the posts on DE turned up WAY more information on the virtues of DE than I ever needed to know. I still came up empty on how much to use. Thanking you in advance for your help.

 

[churchx3]

Sprinkle in the bottom of the coop and then put in whatever you use to cover the coop bottom with your wood chips. you can also sprinkle in the run and add it to your sand for their dustbaths. You can also add sparingly to their food daily as a natural nontoxic parasite cleanser...add up to 5% of the dry weight of the food...

 

[chicks4kids]

My coop floor is 12x16 and I go out with a cool whip container full of it. Personally, I don't think that you can use too much DE. I'd rather do that than use too little. Sprinkle it everywhere including the nest boxes. Everytime I add new litter, I also add more DE. I don't really think that there's a set of how much per square foot to disperse. I think it's more to what makes you comfortable.

 

[MotherJean]

Thank you both for the advice. Appreciate it.