Using Diatamaceous Earth in chickens feed to keep lice, mites, and ticks away?

[blooming silkie]

Does anybody else use diatamaceous earth codex food grade in their chicken feed? I have read so many different articles on this product and there are so many different conflicting reviews. My husbands uncle is our vet and he swears by it. In fact, I read an article that says that even human consumption is good for ridding unwanted organisms in the body. I don't think I am up for trying it myself, but am using it for my chickens! I would love to hear from others that like or dislike this product and why!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I don't see how consuming it would do anything. It's a drying agent and that's the reason it works. By absorbing moisture pests cant grow to larvae stage. If eaten then it gets wet and is no longer a drying agent, also mites and lice are not inside chickens. Nobody uses DE for deworming. DE is dusted on birds, used in nests and mixed into litter to control pests in coop.

 

[gmendoza]

I don't see how consuming it would do anything. It's a drying agent and that's the reason it works. By absorbing moisture pests cant grow to larvae stage. If eaten then it gets wet and is no longer a drying agent, also mites and lice are not inside chickens. Nobody uses DE for deworming. DE is dusted on birds, used in nests and mixed into litter to control pests in coop.

also ticks and fleas breathe thru their body,so by having a powder such as DE, it cloggs their breathing abilities causing death.we use de everywhere in the coop,nests,run,and on birds.

 

[blooming silkie]

So using it everywhere but actually in the food is best? I guess I have wondered about the consumption in the feed. Thanks!

 

[Chris09]

Does anybody else use Diatamaceous Earth codex food grade in their chicken feed? I have read so many different articles on this product and there are so many different conflicting reviews. My husbands uncle is our vet and he swears by it. In fact, I read an article that says that even human consumption is good for ridding unwanted organisms in the body. I don't think I am up for trying it myself, but am using it for my chickens! I would love to hear from others that like or dislike this product and why!

I never really got into the whole Diatomaceous Earth sales pitch.

DE does nothing for your fowl internally and is only fair as a dust to kill lice and mites on poultry, I would say it is as good as corn starch or a good dirt dust bath.


Chris

 

[gmendoza]

I never really got into the whole Diatomaceous Earth sales pitch.

DE does nothing for your fowl internally and is only fair as a dust to kill lice and mites on poultry, I would say it is as good as corn starch or a good dirt dust bath.


Chris

X2

 

[SunnyAlberta]

Some dog people use it in dog food as a dewormer, claiming it damages the exoskeleton of parasites and kills them. I cannot find science to back this up, though. My puppy had tapeworms and is getting DE in her food, but I also used a drug on her to be safe.

 

[En Plein Air Farms]

I put a few handfuls in their big dusting tub which is full of good peat (some peat will NOT break up) and stove ash.
It can't hurt, but truly, I've never seen anyone come up with any scientific studies.
I also put it in their nest boxes along with the fir shavings.
Hedging my bet , can't hurt, but I wouldn't pin my hens health on it.

 

[Chris09]

Some dog people use it in dog food as a dewormer, claiming it damages the exoskeleton of parasites and kills them. I cannot find science to back this up, though. My puppy had tapeworms and is getting DE in her food, but I also used a drug on her to be safe.

DE does the same amount of damage to the exoskeleton of the parasites as it does to the very delicate esophagus of the animal

Here is a quote from Dr. Christine King on Diatomaceous Earth.


Diatomaceous earth
"One of the most commonly used ingredients in these natural dewormers is diatomaceous earth or
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.''


Chris

 

[jwatts]

Is it ok to put it in there nesting boxes? Will it be harmful to the eggs? or skin, if my daughter is collecting eggs?