Is a dust bath necessary if you have a deep litter coop?

[Shadrach]

This is why I was considering using DE in the dust bath inside the coop. I've been watching a number of YouTube videos and seeing people sprinkle DE on the litter in the coop as a preventative to mites and lice. I was thinking that if I put it just in the dust bath, they would naturally track it around the rest of the coop and bedding. But I was not aware of all the negative comments on DE that people here on BYC have brought up.

Yup, despite the various studies, the lack of understanding of the purpose of dust bathing, the risks to the chickens health and yours, people still use the stuff. What can I say, I'm a smoker.

 

[Fishkeeper]

I'm skeptical that sprinkling DE around would do anything to the parasites, anyway. They live in cracks in the walls and on birds, it's not like they're running around the floor leaping into heaps of random dust. Maybe it would kill a few, but you want something that'll actually work.
If you don't have parasites yet, keep the coop clean, your birds dusty, and unhealthy birds out. If parasites turn up and get established, go for a commercial product, something strong enough to get rid of them before they get worse. The exception is scaly leg mites- in mild cases, slathering vaseline on the birds' legs will suffocate the mites. Major cases still need chemical treatment, though.

 

[gtaus]

I'm skeptical that sprinkling DE around would do anything to the parasites, anyway....

Good info. Thanks.

 

[gtaus]

I have decided to make a dust bath in the coop but not to use the DE at this time based on all the negative feedback on the product from this thread. I have all the other stuff needed to make a dust bath in the coop, but it rained all day and I did not want to take a cold shower while putting together a dust bath for the birds. So I will complete this project tomorrow, or the next day, depending on the weather. Thanks to all for your feedback.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

I tried DE last year to attack the armies of ants that invaded the house. I sprinkled it liberally in all the recommended places. It’s supposed to work because its sharp edges cut the insects as they crawl over it. It seemed to have approximately zero effect.

I’ve seen people recommend putting it in water to kill unwanted pests. Now really. If you have anything powdered, what happens when it gets wet? That’s what happens to DE.

If there’s something worse than our retail environment for creating markets for things that are bad, it’s YouTube. And the internet in general, I suppose.

People say they’ve used DE in the coop and had no problems. Well, sure. I’ve inhaled exhaust on a city street at rush hour and had “no problem.” There! Nothing to worry about! Sorry. I get sarcastic when research is ignored and “it worked for me” is given great credence.

ETA: Sorry for ranting. This kind of thing gets me going.

 

[blackandtan]

I tried DE last year to attack the armies of ants that invaded the house. I sprinkled it liberally in all the recommended places. It’s supposed to work because its sharp edges cut the insects as they crawl over it. It seemed to have approximately zero effect.

I’ve seen people recommend putting it in water to kill unwanted pests. Now really. If you have anything powdered, what happens when it gets wet? That’s what happens to DE.

If there’s something worse than our retail environment for creating markets for things that are bad, it’s YouTube. And the internet in general, I suppose.

People say they’ve used DE in the coop and had no problems. Well, sure. I’ve inhaled exhaust on a city street at rush hour and had “no problem.” There! Nothing to worry about! Sorry. I get sarcastic when research is ignored and “it worked for me” is given great credence.

ETA: Sorry for ranting. This kind of thing gets me going.

I agree completely! I bought a tub of DE to use as a non-chemical insect killer that’s bee safe...which is true because it didn’t kill ANYTHING! Not ants, not larder beetles, not woodlice, maggots or anything! Useless.
My girls find a nice patch of dirt on their own and seem happy with that.

 

[gtaus]

...Sorry for ranting. This kind of thing gets me going.

Thank you for the rant. I really had no idea of the negative things about DE that so many of you have told me about in this thread. There are a lot of people with strong negative feelings about it. Looking back at this thread, I don't see too much positive passion for DE.

I am going to add a dust bath inside the coop, but I'll just leave out the DE. Saves me money as I did not have a bag of DE but I do have everything else.

 

[Charlenesmom]

Well, I was wondering about the bug killing aspect of just dust bathing in wood chips. I already have the cement mixing tub, sand and soil. I could easily just stop and get some DE at the farm store tomorrow when I go into town.



I plan on putting the dust bath in the coop, which is covered. I don't think I would need to drill drainage holes in the tub if inside the coop. I am thinking of digging the tub down into the wood chips until the lip of the tub is level with the wood chips. Any thoughts?

A great dust bath recepticle is an old truck, or even a car tire, fill with dirt and leave in their run...several if they all need their own. No need for drainage holes.

 

[gtaus]

A great dust bath recepticle is an old truck, or even a car tire, fill with dirt and leave in their run...several if they all need their own. No need for drainage holes.

Thank you for the response. I have put the cement mixing tub with sand in the coop. I'll add some wood ash and dirt in a few days. I'll see how they like it.

At present, I still have nice grass in the chicken run and that is why I did not want to put down a dust bath in the run. But, along with your suggestion, I do have a tire that I picked up from alongside the road on my property. Someone must have blown out their tire because basically the sidewalls are almost completely gone, leaving just the ring of the tire. I picked it up and thought that it would make a perfect outside dust bath for the chicks. Like you said, you need for drainage holes. I'm saving that tire ring for later, if/when I put the dust bath in the outside chicken run.

 

[Double Yolked]

May I chime in on the side of "give them a dust bath too?" I have had a very bad year battling red mites. Wild doves brought them in and I've been fighting them non stop now for 8 months or so. It's been hell. In the war against parasites? Give your chickens every weapon available.
I can report a 99% victory against the chicken mites at this point. But I will never again relax and say I'm mite free. It cost me my brand new chicken tractor, (burned it, too many mites and places for mites to hide) hours and hours of scrubbing with detergent and oils, constant vigilance and about 30 lbs of diatomaceous earth.
And yes I can report that DE does work, it's just not a 100% fix all. In your arsenal of weapons it can have a useful place, but it won't take the place of a lot of hard scrubbing, hosing, cleaning and finding where every tiny nook and cranny they hide in is and going chicken keeper postal on their red vampiric butts.
I could not use most of the chemicals available as I have several severe allergies and just can't take some risks with my health.