Question about DE ?!?

[krcote]

I love that everyone knows so much! My question is this- in the North East it doesn't seem to be widely used. Most people WITH chickens haven't even heard of DE. Do we not have a large need for it way up here?!

 

[spatcher]

I have sent it to NJ, MA and NY!

 

[havi]

Quote:
So I wonder if it can still be used just like DE? I may not feed it to my animals for wormer, but I guess I can still use it for fleas and garden pest. Maybe a little for the bedding?

 

[SusanJoM]

I suggest reading this article

http://www.safe2use.com/safe-products/diatomaceous/diatomaceous_Earth.htm

Susan

 

[spatcher]

Well, I have read here that someone in Ontario, Canada is using it. If they are recommending 2% in feed on the bag, why would you not use it in feed? Am I missing something here?

 

[SusanJoM]

I wouldn't use it, myself. I've read through the MSDS
(http://www.wicp.com/SiteCM/U/D/AC7060B860536BE5.pdf)
and it states that it is 65% diatomaceous earth.
What it doesn't say is what the quality of that diatomaceous earth is.
On the other hand, the next line of the MSDS states that the free Free Crystalline Silica is less than 1%, which seems to be an acceptable level. So maybe I'm being too harsh.
However, I do believe that the uses of DE that have been suggested before, and for which the Codex Food Grade product is recommended, would be using it in much higher concentrations that "less than 2% of the food".

I think this product is designed for adding to really huge supplies of feed that are being stored for a long time. It doesn't look to me like something you want to sprinkle on bedding or feed directly to chickens.

Out of curiosity, how much is this stuff?
If it's not expensive, it's not Food Grade.
Really, it has to say CODEX Food Grade on the sack somewhere or don't risk it.

Susan

 

[spatcher]

The amt of crystalline silica is what you go by! By FDA standards, to be food grade, it has to have less than 3% crystalline silica to be food grade! Swimming pool grade DE has 65% crystalline silica and that is why it is so dangerous. If it has 1% crystalline silica in it, it is food grade. The only one I know of that is less is PermaGuard which has less than half of one percent. Your DE is safe my dear!!!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Yes it does:

the next line of the MSDS states that the free Free Crystalline Silica is less than 1%, which seems to be an acceptable level.

Exactly. "Free Crystalline Silica <1%" is what tells you it is DEFINITELY food-grade. Realio trulio.

Out of curiosity, how much is this stuff?

I paid $35 (edited cuz I went and looked it up

) for the 40 lb -ish bag last year.

It is mixed with some montmorillonite and can make the chickens tummy feathers kinda funky-messy if they dustbathe in a big tub of it mixed with sand while their feathers are damp (ask me how I know

)... but it does seem to do a reasonably good job controlling northern fowl mites, again ask me how I know <g> and there is no doubt in my mind that it is properly food-grade.

Pat​

 

[SusanJoM]

Okay....

Guess I'm a slow learner, but I really did take it to heart when I first started reading here and the conversation led to a very strong statement that unless it says CODEX Food Grade DE on it it just wasn't safe.

I don't mean to be a pill about this, and I am going to back out of this discussion because I really don't know enough to continue.

Susan

 

[havi]

I paid $28.35 for a 40 lb bag.