What is "food grad DE?"

[katie4]

I'm new to chickens and I've read up on the basics.

I read a thread about finding "food grade DE." Can you tell me what this is and its purpose?

Thanks!

 

[hickchick55]

It is diatomaceous earth. Fossil flour. I found this website very helpful- www.earthworkshealth.com Although I did end up ordering it from Amazon to get free shipping. I use a flour sifter to spread in chicken shack and run, hoping to prevent mites and lice. My cat and I are also eating it.

 

[Donner]

Crushed fossillized diatoms. Mostly Silicon Dioxide (Silica). Food grade is uncooked amorphous silica and not a silicosis hazard. Non-food grade like that used for pool filters has been cooked into crystallized Silica which is a silicosis hazard.

It is a desiccant, and thus can kill small insects by drying them out. Completely harmless to ingest, but counter to some of the myths, it is not useful to ingest. I use it in my coop to dry out poop, and since dry poop does not smell as much as wet poop, it tends to reduce the smell in the coop.

I get mine for $.99 a pound out of a bulk garbage can at my feed store, I expect a 50lb bag would be about $30. I saw a 2.5 lb bag at a vendor at a dog show for like $15, so don't get ripped off.

 

[GiddyMoon]

Completely harmless to ingest, but counter to some of the myths, it is not useful to ingest.

This is not true. It is a very good dewormer. We have been using it on our cats for years and I know humans who work on ranches and take it themselves to help keep them from getting tape worms, etc.​