Too soon to use DE?

[maizey]

My chicks (barred rocks) will be 7 weeks tomorrow. They are fully feathered ecxept their arm pits and are in their coop and run full time. At what point do you start adding food grade DE to food and dusting the coop with it?

 

[HorizonSon]

This post is really freakin me out; because, my chicks have been dustbathing in sand with DE since I received them (three days old). Some have been eating it since then!

 

[maizey]

well that may be totally cool.. i just wasn't sure...so i asked

 

[maizey]

any other thoughts...anyone...anyone

 

[kcfuerst]

It is never too soon to start feeding DE to your chicks and using it in the dust baths. Ideally, you might want to start this as soon as they leave the brooder and go outside. Food grade = eat it.

 

[maizey]

yay! thanks!

 

[ladybug99]

I have been using that great stuff since the girls have been little.. never had a problem

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
On that note, you should consider yourself lucky. I`ve come to believe that DE is a waste of time and money, and that after reading countless complaints about parrasite infestations while using it. I know it has it`s fans. Some say it clears up infestations, some say it merely prevents them. I say, aftermore than half a century raising chickens and other fowl, it`s all nonsense. I have never used DE and my birds have always been free from parasites except for a few occasions when Sevin dust cleared up the external problems and a couple rare occasions when cayenne pepper cured the worm situation. My point is, if you`re gonna get them, you`re gonna get them. Then take the appropriate measures to cure the situation. Don`t waste your money giving them something that is unproven and many reports say doesn`t work at all. There, now all you DE fans can blast me. Just do us all a favor and prove me wrong..........Pop

 

[joebryant]

I would not have chickens, period, unless I had food-grade diatomaceous earth from hatch and for the rest of my chickens' lifetime.

 

[Judy]

Just because it is added to food (in small amounts) to prevent caking and clumping doesn't mean it is good for you; look what they add to people food. I don't add it to their food because it doesn't make sense to me to have those sharp scratchy points against the walls of their intestines.

This debate has gone on for ages... but until there is some actual proof that it is beneficial when given internally, I'm not going to do it. I haven't seen anything really scientific and convincing yet.

To me, DE is primarily for killing worm type pests in the garden. I'll add it sparingly to their litter for odor and flies, and maybe mites/lice, but that's it.