How To Use Diatomaceous Earth With Chickens

Making a diatomaceous earth box.

How to use diatomaceous earth with chickens. The benefits of diatomaceous earth for chickens are numerous it contains nutrients that your chickens. The popularity of keeping chickens in the backyard on a patch of land or even on a larger acreage has enjoyed a real surge over the past decade and now you can even use diatomaceous earth for chickens. It s pretty much impossible to keep your chickens strictly using the dust bath area. The algae are called diatoms which is the origin of the word diatom aceous earth. I made a chicken dust bath in an old tractor tire filled with sand wood ash and diatomaceous earth.

The content of silica in food grade freshwater diatomaceous earth is monitored by osha. Diatomaceous earth uses with your flock. Chicken mites can be difficult pests to combat their life cycle is difficult to thwart and they thrive in chicken coops. Add a tablespoon every three months. There s really no formula for how much of either to offer so i go with a 1 1 ratio.

Use diatomaceous earth in the dust bath and your chickens will happily dose themselves. Keepers of backyard chickens generally use de to control pests in their. De works effectively to exterminate the lice and mites but remains a safe pesticide to have come in close contact with chickens. For modern use diatomaceous earth is a natural pesticide and organic food additive that can keep mites off chickens cleanse their digestive tracts of internal parasites and provide essential minerals to help chickens lay bigger healthier more nutritious eggs. This is my favourite method of application as it is the easiest and result in no stress for the bird.

Diatomaceous earth is a white powder made from the fossilized shells of a type of algae located throughout the world. But i do have a specific dust bath area for them. It targets both full grown and gestating mites and lice. How to use diatomaceous earth. With an ever growing awareness about healthy lifestyles and healthy eating more and more people are realizing that quite apart from being a fun and interesting hobby keeping a small flock.

The dose of diatomaceous earth for dust baths is 500g initially a tablespoon for each bird that uses the dust bath. The easiest way to incorporate de into your coop is by offering a dust box loaded with a diatomaceous earth sand or dirt mix. You can learn how by clicking the link. Diatomaceous earth is safe for external use with poultry and so far i ve not experienced any respiratory eye or skin issues with my birds.