Is DE safe for chickens

[Annasg]

I am conflicted. Some reports say that DE is safe for chickens and some say it is not because it causes respiratory problems. Can you of you more experienced chicken owners straighten me out on this issue?

 

[AidKD]

I use DE on my chickens and put it in their food all the time and I've never had any problems with it. I always just sprinkle a little bit on their backs and put it around the coop and just a little bit in their food. If you give a light sprinkling of it on them they'll be fine. Hope this helps!

 

[Annasg]

I use DE on my chickens and put it in their food all the time and I've never had any problems with it. I always just sprinkle a little bit on their backs and put it around the coop and just a little bit in their food. If you give a light sprinkling of it on them they'll be fine. Hope this helps!

This actually helps a lot. I put some in their run and then I saw a post saying that you should not do that although, no one had responded with whether or not they had any results from it. What does it do for them when you put it in their food?

 

[AidKD]

I kills certain types of parasites at the source... in their stomach and bowels. I know of some chickens who have died from having parasites in them, so it's really good to give it to them if you want to keep them really healthy.

 

[Folly's place]

Actually DE is only effective on soft bodied critters when the DE is dry. It has no effect when wet, or in the gut.
It is open pit mined, bad for the workers, at least. Look that up!

Natural' doesn't mean 'harmless'!
It is a serious irritant to anyone's lungs, including your chicken's, and yours. And it has limited to no effectiveness against mites or lice out there.
It's useful in killing mites in feeds, especially if you don't get fresh feed all the time, or if it comes in from the store that way.
I would rather use effective products when necessary, rather than spreading this stuff around at random.
Mary

 

[Annasg]

I kills certain types of parasites at the source... in their stomach and bowels. I know of some chickens who have died from having parasites in them, so it's really good to give it to them if you want to keep them really healthy.

How much per quart or gallon of food. I have 3 bunches of chickens of different ages so I give them all different amounts of food

 

[AidKD]

Whenever I fill up their feeder I like to do 2 to 3 big cupfuls of corn then just take a little bit in my fingers and sprinkle it in then mix it up, then I repeat. How do you feed your chickens?

 

[Folly's place]

I feed everyone Flock Raiser, and am very careful about buying it fresh by mill date, and storing and using it up fast. Haven't ever seen mites in it, at least not yet.
A few time a week, or less, they get a very small amount of scratch as a treat, and they free range in mixed spruces and pastures.
Here we have house wrens invading the coop daily, often bringing mites, and we spray the coop and birds with permethrin as needed. Like this week, yuck! It cuts down on all insects in the coop, not a bad thing in this miserable hot weather!
Mary

 

[aart]

I am conflicted. Some reports say that DE is safe for chickens and some say it is not because it causes respiratory problems. Can you of you more experienced chicken owners straighten me out on this issue?

It doesn't have any benefit....tho you'll find many who say it does.
Delusional Ecstasy.

 

[CanadaEh]

it is safe. make sure use food or lifestock feed grade one, not agriculture/pesticide one