I have a question on DE???

[cafarmgirl]

Does everyone worm their chickens as a preventative or when worms are seen in the poop? If preventative, how often?

I personally deworm twice a year as a preventative. Chickens are going to get worms, not if but when. I rotate between Valbazen and Safeguard.

In regards to DE... I see no point in spending $$ on something that is not going to solve any parasite problem. There are plenty of safe products available that WILL do the job and cost a whole lot less. Twice a year I deworm my birds and at the same time strip coops and put down Poultry Dust. There's no messing around all year long putting DE here there and everywhere. My birds are healthy and the parasite population is well controlled.

 

[casportpony]

Hi everyone, Very important question......

I bought a 20 LB bag of DE from Tractor Supply, it's called Red Lake Earth Diatomaceous Earth with Calcium Bentonite. On the bag it say's, Guaranteed Analysis: Moisture, Maximum...8% Ash (Mineral Matter), maximum....95% Ingredients: Diatomaceous Earth Calcium Bentonite It also say's FOOD CHEMICAL CODEX GRADE

Is this stuff safe for chickens to get rid of chicken lice and mites and safe to put in their food like it says on the bag? I don't want to harm my chickens, just to get rid of the chicken lice and the mites! Is it also safe to put on chicks?

Thank you everyone who can help me out!

If you haven't opened it, return it and get poultry dust and Safeguard for Goats/Cattle. I tried DE, but it didn't work for me.

 

[ctfeathers]

It will not work it is a wives tale that it does
http://www.ehow.com/how_2292743_get-rid-chicken-mites.html

Tsc sells a very unpure version, with a small percentage of DE to begin with. Regardless of what your views on this are, that particular DE is useless as it contains almost NO DE to begin with.

 

[ctfeathers]

http://poultrykeeper.com/health-suppliments/diatomaceous-earth
http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/mites-lice/index.aspx
Whether you buy into this or not doesn't really matter. If you do, it's a personal decision, and vital you know exactly what you are getting before you get it. As well as where you are getting it from. And it never hurts to take a moment to talk to your vet, but it may make all the difference in the world.

 

[strssdmom]

I personally deworm twice a year as a preventative. Chickens are going to get worms, not if but when. I rotate between Valbazen and Safeguard.

In regards to DE... I see no point in spending $$ on something that is not going to solve any parasite problem. There are plenty of safe products available that WILL do the job and cost a whole lot less. Twice a year I deworm my birds and at the same time strip coops and put down Poultry Dust. There's no messing around all year long putting DE here there and everywhere. My birds are healthy and the parasite population is well controlled.

How safe are these products when they leach into the eggs or for meat birds when humans consume the meat? I have no clue, I just don't want my children to consume chemicals that can harm them. That is the whole reason we are farming our own chickens.

 

[dawg53]

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html
http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou...try.html?qt=poultry external parasites&alt=sh
http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/poultry/ectoparasites/lice_of_poultry.html
No DE recommended by these experts.

 

[casportpony]

How safe are these products when they leach into the eggs or for meat birds when humans consume the meat? I have no clue, I just don't want my children to consume chemicals that can harm them. That is the whole reason we are farming our own chickens.

You might want to ask your own Doctor about what's best for you and your family.

 

[casportpony]

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html
http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou...try.html?qt=poultry external parasites&alt=sh
http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/poultry/ectoparasites/lice_of_poultry.html
No DE recommended by these experts.

X2. And I have *never* seen it recommended in any of the literature that I have.

 

[cafarmgirl]

How safe are these products when they leach into the eggs or for meat birds when humans consume the meat? I have no clue, I just don't want my children to consume chemicals that can harm them. That is the whole reason we are farming our own chickens.

The eggs are discarded for 10 days after deworming. However, in regards to safety of deworming medications: Some of the medication's used to deworm animals are also used on humans who are unlucky enough to contract internal parasites, they are effective and also have a very wide margine of safety. Meaning you would have to take many, many times the recommended dosage to have negative effects. There is a large misconception that just because something is labeled a "chemical" it must be horribly toxic and dangerous. Everyone must make their own decision's and to each his own. But decisions should be made based on knowledge and education, not fear of the unknown.

 

[dbaydak]

Hi

I am a firm believer in DE. I use it in mixed in with sand for my chickens dust bath. I mix it in their feed to prevent worms. We sprinkle it on the birds themselves to prevent/stop mites/lice. And we sprinkle it in the coop to prevent insect investations. In addition, it is feed to our dogs and cats to also prevent worms. My husband and I are trying to be as organic as we can, without using pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals. I can see were a chemical wormer would be needed for a severe infection of worms, but as a preventative, DE is awesome.

I bought some of the DE from TSC which I use in the dust bath and the coop grounds. We also use it in our garden. However, we do use the DE labeled as food grade in the feeds for the animals.

I have heard that DE is good for humans too, only food grade, but have not tried this myself....