I have a question on DE???

[Peacheschic]

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!

 

[TOP KNOT]

I only use food grade diatomaceous earth for safety. I ordered it from shadawridgedonkeys.com. I have read the non food grade is too dangerous for the chickens.

 

[Peacheschic]

I only use food grade diatomaceous earth for safety. I ordered it from shadawridgedonkeys.com. I have read the non food grade is too dangerous for the chickens.

So does that mean the stuff I bought is not the good stuff to use on my animals, or in their coop?

 

[Peacheschic]

DIATOMACEOUS EARTH CODEX FOOD/CHEMICAL GRADE - Diatomaceous earth is excellent for internal and external parasite control. Diatomaceous earth dehydrates insects such as fleas, ticks, ants, bed bugs, flies, worms, mites, etc. The mineral and silica content increase feed utilization. Reported to kill 75% of flies and fleas that come in contact with it within 72 hrs. Mixed with grains at a ratio of 2% keeps out pests. Diatomaceous earth is excellent for eliminating ants, aphids, flea beetles, fleas, earwigs, bed bugs, sowbugs, mites, etc. We use it diluted in water and painted on tree trunks to keep ants off our fruit trees. Can be applied as a foliar spray or sprayed in buildings or just lightly sprinkled in pest infested areas or compost/manure piles. Great for internal worming purposes for humans and animals. Helps detox heavy metals. Diatomaceous earth is a drying agent, and thus reduces odor and moisture in barns and stalls. Fed to animals daily, it keeps fly larvae from developing in manure, noticebly reducing the fly population. Added to livestock waterers, it keeps the algae from growing in the hot summer months.
Some people are confused by our diatomaceous earth being rated as Codex Food Chemical Grade. The food grade rating tells you it is safe to consume orally. The chemical grade is given because DE acts like a chemical by simply dehydrating insects and can be used externally like a chemical pesticide would be used. It is not just for food type purposes. Organic farmers use it in their crops for bug control, as do people in their gardens. It won't harm birds, pets, and other animals as a chemical pesticide would.

I just found this on the internet! Thanks everyone for helping!

 

[TOP KNOT]

awesome! I am glad that you found answers! I love the internet!!

 

[Michael Apple]

DE is worthless as a wormer and for control of mites. Do yourself a favor and return it. Buy Permectrin II or Ravap E.C. You can use it as a premise treatment as well as on the birds. For a wormer, get yourself some Zimectrin Gold, Wormazole, or Worminator from Hake's Twin City Poultry. All three of those products eliminate all worms.

 

[Peacheschic]

awesome! I am glad that you found answers! I love the Internet!!

Same here! Just some times it can take hours to find all the questions I have! Most of the time I don't have hours to look on the Internet for all my questions, but this morning I had an hour to kill!

And thank you for helping, I really appreciate it!

 

[Peacheschic]

DE is worthless as a wormer and for control of mites. Do yourself a favor and return it. Buy Permectrin II or Ravap E.C. You can use it as a premise treatment as well as on the birds. For a wormer, get yourself some Zimectrin Gold, Wormazole, or Worminator from Hake's Twin City Poultry. All three of those products eliminate all worms.

Thank you Michael Apple for your input!

 

[dawg53]

DE is useless as a wormer and is ineffective when wet, just like inside a chickens innards.
Here's a link where another BYC member used DE as a wormer and it failed her, resulting in a necropsy which revealed roundworms were the cause of various diseases/bacteria taking down her birds.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/576245/proof-that-de-doesnt-work

 

[ctfeathers]

DE is useless as a wormer and is ineffective when wet, just like inside a chickens innards.
Here's a link where another BYC member used DE as a wormer and it failed her, resulting in a necropsy which revealed roundworms were the cause of various diseases/bacteria taking down her birds.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/576245/proof-that-de-doesnt-work

DE will work, but you cannot expect the 8% DE sold in tractor supply to be the one you use, and have it work. The important thing to know is that when it is diluted, especially with clay, it reduces the effectiveness of it. De works because it dehydrates the parasites, thus killing them. This stuff is expensive, and must be pure to work. It must also be food grade, or it will be toxic and will kill them.
I have used it to de worm dogs as well, and within 12 hours after use, you can see the same "end results" as a chemical wormer.
There should always be a test run first, no matter what animal or problem, as you don't want to waste time you don't have treating the wrong thing. For a bad infestation, you may want or need to consider a chemical to get it under control first, but when it is, DE will work as a preventative.