How to use DE

[grullablue]

Ok, got my first bag of food grade DE yesterday....now, how to use it! I have a 8x12 coop, using the deep litter method. How often do you sprinkle it in there? And do you sprinkle and leave it, and let the hens do the rest, or sort of mix it in?

Daily? Weekly? etc?

I have to apologize first....my modem is going, and I may not be able to see posts/reply until my new one arrives (hopefully tomorrow!) and gets installed, so I may not be able to see/reply right away. But I thank you much for the replies ahead of time!

The guy musta thought I was nuts...so excited over finding a place to buy food grade DE locally...lol

Angie

 

[SewingDiva]

Our coop is pretty small, so hopefully folks with larger ones will weigh. When I change the pine shavngs and clean out the 8x4 run (weekly) I sprinkle aobut 1/2 of a cup on top of everything. The girls will scratch it into their run, and when I fluff up the shavings it mixes in. I sporinkle it on them too and when they groom it works through their feathers.

It's intersting stuff inthat it looks like and acts just cake flour, but doesn't dissolve and it degrades very slowly.

A little seems to go along way.

~Phyllis

 

[grullablue]

Thanks, that helps!

Angie

 

[grullablue]

Hoping for more advice though....since I'm doing the deep litter method...I am not taking all the shavings out regularly though... in fact, I have read you really only need to completely pull everything out once a year or so.

Angie