Should I feed my hens scratch or layer feed?

[Chris09]

The thing with this link (http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2013/02/foodless-friday-health-benefits-of-diatomaceous-earth.html) is that they have links to where to buy DE so yes there going to through a sales pitch on how good it is chances are good that the blogger is getting a kick back or a commission from any sales that link back to her blog.

The thing that I don't think that people under stand is this,
Diatomaceous earth is 80 to 90% silica.
Over 90% of the earth's crust is composed of silica minerals, making silicon the second most abundant element in the earth's crust (about 28% by mass) after oxygen. Silica is most common in the form of quarts (silica sand is just broken down quarts) and the exposure to silica sand has been linked to lung cancer.


Quote:

diatomite. Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring, soft, chalky rock that, when crushed,

yields a fine, light-grey powder. It consists of fossilized remains of tiny hard-shelled algae called
diatoms. Owing to their high content of crystalline silica, diatomite is mildly abrasive.
In fact, that is the mechanism by which diatomite is purported to kill intestinal parasites. It is
believed that the abrasive micro-surfaces of the diatomite cut the outer membranes of the
parasites like thousands of tiny blades. But I question that premise. Industrial-grade diatomite
has a high silica content and is used as a mild abrasive. However, food-grade diatomite has a
much lower content of crystalline silica, so it is minimally abrasive.
And even if the abrasion theory is valid, then what does this stuff do to the delicate lining of
the digestive tract? While I could not find even one scientific study which validates the use of
diatomite against internal parasites in horses or other livestock, my search did turn up several
articles documenting the health risks of chronic exposure to diatomite. When inhaled, it causes
inflammation of the airways and, with chronic exposure, even some fibrosis (scarring).
Even more concerning was a study which showed that chronic oral intake of diatomite can
damage the intestinal lining, altering its absorptive properties and making it more permeable to
potentially harmful substances. So, it seems to me that the practice of using diatomaceous earth
as a daily dewormer for horses is either useless but harmless or useful but harmful, depending on
the grade of diatomite used.''

 

[pdirt]

I read this on the Internet...so of course It Must Be True...that DE loses most of its effectiveness of the sharp cutting edges when it gets wet.

Chris09, reading the clip you posted from Dr. King, it almost sounds like DE is similar in ways to bentonite clays. Bentonite clays can have a powerful drawing effect through skin or intestines. Place a tad of the powdered form on your tongue sometime and you'll see what I mean.

I'm not suggesting feeding Bentonite to chickens...I wouldn't know the dosing and it would be way too easy to overdo it and cause constipation.

 

[Chris09]

Good point pdirt and I have also read that DE loses effectiveness when wet.
From what I have read, DE doesn't kill anything wile it is wet and it has to be completely dried out before it has any type of effectiveness again. So this tells me that it does no good as a wormer.

In 2009, a study was conducted at North Carolina A&T State University to determine the effect of DE on goats naturally-infected with internal parasites (primarily Haemonchus contortus, Eimeria, and Trichostrongylus spp.).
Twenty Spanish and Spanish x Boer does (avg. 88 lb.) were randomly assigned to four treatment groups. For eight days, they were treated with DE at different concentrations: Group 1, 1.77 g DE; Group 2, 3.54 g DE; and Group 3, 5.31 g DE.
The DE was mixed with 150 ml of sterile water and administered as a drench. Goats in Group 4 were drenched with sterile water and served as untreated controls.
The goats were kept outdoors in sheltered pens with concrete floors. They were fed a concentrate diet.

Body weights, fecal egg counts, packed cell volume, and white (WBC) and red blood cell (RBC) counts were measured weekly for six weeks. Over the duration of the study, increases in fecal egg counts were observed, and packed cell volumes decreased in all groups. All groups exhibited increases in WBC and decreases in RBC counts. An anthelmintic effect of DE was not observed, as there were no significant reductions in fecal egg count as a result of DE administration.
Reference
The Effects of Diatomaceous Earth on Parasite Infected Goats. Bulletin of the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (2009).

In 2005, British researchers carried out two experiments to assess the efficacy of DE as an alternative to anthelmintics in grazing ruminants (cattle and sheep). Animals treated with anthelmintics and groups of untreated animals were included for comparison.

In the first study, 18 cattle (yearling Black Welsh heifers) were assigned to three treatment groups: 1) control group - no treatment; 2) treatment with an anthelmintic drench prior to turnout; and 3) a daily supplement of DE (2% of daily DM intake). The DE was mixed in with a ration of rolled barley. Groups 1 and 2 received a similar ration of rolled barley. The duration of the study was 10 weeks.

There were no significant differences between treatment groups for live weight gain. In week 7, cattle in the control (untreated) group had higher fecal egg counts than the drench or DE groups; however, for all other weeks, fecal egg counts did not differ between the three groups.

In the second study, 45 single-bearing pregnant ewes were assigned to three treatment groups (balanced for live weight and fecal egg count): 1) control - no treatment; 2) treatment with an anthelmintic prior to turnout (with lamb); and 3) daily supplement of DE post-lambing.
As with the cattle, the DE was mixed in with a ration of rolled barley that all of the ewes received every morning. Ewes and lambs grazed pastures that had not been grazed for at least three months. The duration of the study was 8 weeks.

There were no significant differences in fecal egg counts between treatment groups prior to or post-lambing. Ewes in the DE group had heavier post-lambing live weights than ewes in the drench group, but not the control group. By 10 weeks of age, lambs from DE ewes were significantly heavier than lambs from ewes in the drench group, but there was no statistical difference between lambs in the DE and control groups.
Reference
The Inclusion of Diatomaceous Earth in the Diet of Grazing Ruminants and its Effect on Gastrointestinal Parasite Burdens. International Society of Organic Agricultural Research. 2005 Conference.

 

[Heme]

Some how DE was viewed as SHARP Edges and that is NOT True. Microscopic particles look like a BURR or Water Mine with minute spikes, not sharp edges.
Think of a ball or sphere with hair-like appendages. The tips of these minute spikes attach to soft tissue of mites and other pests.

Unfortunately there is too much misinformation tossed around and only an individual with scientific knowledge can be a source for genuine data.
Being that I am not one of the experts on the issue; I rely on scientific evaluations by trustworthy authorities.

With that said: I end up using my own decision, one way or the other. As for the Pepper treatment, so far it sounds good and I will try that approach. Since hot pepper slices could get the job done, I will grow them this year.

What was interesting: Animals for the most part shy away from hot peppers and foul are clueless that it may be in their food chain. Interesting observation.