This is what I'm using (along with some food-grade DE in the mix)....it IS a superstar!
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/search?q=sand
Hi iwiw60 - nice of you to post the chicken-lady for people to decide if they want to use the sand. Personally in my situation my girls free-range from dawn to dusk so I don't use the sand but it's probably very good for those who pen their chickens 24/7.
BTW the same chicken-lady website does not recommend food grade DE. In fact I gave away my unopened expensive bag of ultra white pure food grade DE after realizing how sensitive chicken lungs are to dust particles and respiratory infections. It is not effective against all the snake-oil claims it "MAY" have in fighting parasites or insects. Instead we use Poultry Protector which is an OMRI organic preventative health schedule we keep with our hens once a month on their bodies and on their coop (directions for both on the bottle - not cheap but effective in preventing parasites) - in 3 years we have never had any infestation to resort to poisonous dusts or pesticides like Sevin, etc. We also use Ivermectin for worming 3x a year - not organic but according to vet the best wormer if dosaged correctly since "natural" or "organic" methods like garlic water, ACV, or pumpkin seeds do not eradicate the deadly Gapeworm, etc - special instructions must be followed as it is NOT administered orally to chickens. Just came from the vet yesterday and lab results show no parasites 3rd year in a row. He is thrilled we use Ivermectin. Anyone interested in our Preventative Health Schedule for our chickens for worms/lice/mites/scaly leg and the best products and doses to use feel free to PM me. An ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure and importantly not dangerous to the chickens.
If you click on diatomaceous earth on the chicken-lady's website she goes in-depth detail from two experts about the detriment of using DE. Here is a statement from the chicken-lady's website and all highlights are her own.:
Provide adequate dusting areas for chickens to care for their own skin and feathers naturally. A dust bath is the chicken equivalent of a daily dirt shower. It helps them maintain their skin and feathers and controls parasites. Some claim that adding food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) to the dust bathing area combats external parasites. I do not use DE in my flock; I believe it is dangerous to their respiratory health and do not believe it is effective at treating mites or lice. Employ various herbs to repel insects. An article by Herbalist Susan Burek, published in the June/July2011 edition of Backyard Poultry Magazine suggests that many herbs are effective insecticidals.1 Burek explains that various varieties of herbs can repel or kill insects. Another important message in Burek’s article cited above is that herbal pest management should be part of “[a] multi-faceted prevention plan.” Keeping coops clean, keeping chickens healthy in order to be able to fend off pests, and avoiding toxic chemicals as well as natural products such as food grade diatomaceous earth, which upset the natural environmental balance, are all integral parts of that plan.
I do not add diatomaceous earth to my chickens’ dust-bath areas due to their highly sensitive respiratory systems. I feel that good sanitation practices, frequent flock inspections and providing ample dusting areas are sufficient preventative measures for my flock without exposing them to a cloud of respiratory danger daily by way of DE.
Upon identification of lice or mites in any flock member, treatment should begin immediately. There are many different products employed to eradicate mites and lice with varying degrees of effectiveness, among them are: Pyrethrum Dust, dog flea dips, flea shampoos, Poultry Protector, Sevin Dust 5% (carbaryl powder) and Ivermectin. When lice or mites are detected on one bird, the entire flock should be treated. Treating birds after dark when they have gone to roost is the easiest way to treat the entire flock.
I use Sevin Dust 5% to treat my chickens. While wearing a respirator and with the help of another person to hold the bird, I dust underneath the wings and vent area of each bird sparingly but thoroughly. I also clean and treat the entire coop with particular attention paid to nests and roosts.
**Treatment must be repeated twice after the initial application in 7 day increments, in order to kill the eggs (nits) that had not hatched at the time of the previous treatments.**
