Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

[bcnewe2]

I've experimented with it in many ways. Here's my finding...
As a wormer for the sheep. They still needed worming and I'm not sure it did much there as it seemed like we still had the same amount of wormy sheep (not to many, this was a clean farm, as in not a farm till we came here) so worming has been very limited.

But I've had friends add it to minerals. More like 50x50 in their mix of minerals, I didn't see anything in worm control there either, we still had wormy sheep and it was a wormy farm (livestock for years and allot to boot).

But used as fly control in the barn, around kennels and around the house works wonderful. I've also put it in cabinets where bugs were an issue, basically anywhere bugs were around. Did great.

It's the first thing we sprinkle when we clean out the barn or chicken coop.
But nothing has worked better for fly control than the fly predators we've been using for 2 years now. The DE helps dry all the moisture and it's good for other bugs.

I've used it around the house but never as a dust bath for chickens. I think I will try that.

I also understood from research that it is only good until it becomes wet then loses it's potency or drying effect. If that's the case how could it work in the stomach? Also along that strain of idea, you'd have to reapply when your plants got wet of they would be unprotected again. But then again it does work to help dry out the barn and compliments the lime I put down after the DE.

I've never fed it to the dogs but I've dusted it on them for flea control or whatever. It didn't seem to do bad but I did totally worry that they would inhale it.

Just my findings from our own testing!

That and when sprinkling around the barn it dried out my arms horribly but a quick rinse and some cream and that was that. I didn't inhale to much, after the first time I wore a mask but without is wasn't that bad, just worried cause it was pretty powdery.

 

[RamblingCowgirl]

I've just been reading about using DE as a wormer for puppies and kittens. I think I'm going to try it on my kittens and my mother is going to try it on her puppies. I'll try to remember to come back and post on how well it worked.

 

[CentexSweetheart]

Honestly this is the first I'm hearing of it being used as a wormer, I use it for pest control and prevention with my pets and in my home and yard. I have also heard it doesn't work once it's wet, so I'd be skeptical about the wormer bit. I use in in my carpets, yard, and to dust my dog though and it works very well and I don't have to worry about fleas or poisons around my baby. (we just moved into a rental, which was not infested really, but already occupied by some fleas who have since reproduced.)

 

[Homestead Journey]

I use DE in my chicken feed and sprinkle it around in their house and dusting bath areas. We haven't had any issues with parasites in our chicken coop. We also give it to our cats and dog, and sprinkle it in their bedding for fleas.

I also use it in my smoothie on occasion for a personal detox.

 

[Sweetened]

I can attest to it working as a wormer. I think the problem with the sheeples is it's not being used for long enough?

If you start using it as a wormer on dogs or cats DO NOT DISCONTINUE USE for 21 days or you will spark a healing crisis within the body and possibly hurt the animal. It creates dieoff which needs to be fully shed out of the system or it WILL cause problems.

We picked up a lab mix puppy a few years ago. She was so bloated I thought she might pop on the way home. I put her on de, I think a half tsp(? I don't remember, I'd have to look it up) per feeding (we feed once a day). There was no marked difference for the first 5 days. She was kept downstairs while at work, on puppy pads for any accidents, it was too cold to leave her out when we had gotten her. After the first week, her feces started to look pulpy, like she'd eaten a lot of dried hay. About 12 days in, she passed a MASSIVE worm that, if pieced together (it came out cut up) would have been 6-8ft long, easy peasey. She continued to pass pieces and knots of worms for 4 days or so and was cleared up ebfore the 21 day mark, however I continued to then just to be safe.

I put down a box of DE in the middle of my coop and shut the door for an hour. The girls go to town, bathing and eating it. They dust my coop for me. I pop open the door and happy chickens come out and shake themselves off in a cloudburst.

I think for worming anything, ruminants especially, you'll need a couple weeks of treatment to destroy the cycle and cleanse the system. I really want to try food grade (not feed grade) DE, but I've heard about it sparking healing crisis' in people and they sweat and smell like vinegar for 3-5 days. Weirds me out!

 

[sadieml]

I am just beginning to experiment with DE. I know it works for bugs. As a dewormer, I'm not sure, but I'm trying it for my goaties, dogs, & cats. Will repost to let you know how it works in a couple of weeks. Also going to dust dogs and cats. My dogs just got over a skin mite problem. We had been treating for months! Maybe DE will prevent re-infestation. I think when they say it doesn't work after it's wet, they mean its absorbency. Internally, it's the crystalline structure that works for worming and detox. Also, inhaling is not a problem with food grade because of the low crystalline silica content(1% or less). The DE used for swimming pools has considerably more and not only is dangerous to inhale, but can be fatal if ingested. I'm looking in to getting some DE flour(not a replacement for wheat flour, just ultrafine food grade DE) for my family and me to try. It's supposed to be good for hair, skin, allergies, etc.. I guess we'll see.

 

[Ponker]

Anyone know where I can get a good write-up for DE? My neighbor is 71 and is interested in trying it but wants to read more about it. I'm looking for a pamphlet I can print and carry over to her that she can keep in her barn. I also want a write-up for my barn with dosing and info on it. I tried google and will continue looking but I thought I'd ask here. A good pamphlet for sharing with people who don't use the internet. For taking to the feed store to get the right product...

 

[lynordb]

How long do I feed it mixed with my goats food? And is it the same for my dogs, cat, and my chickens? Any info would help. I'm on my 2nd day for all my 4 legged animals, so how do I mix it for my chickens? Can it be mixed with their water? Thank you and YHVH bless.

 

[Baymule]

I used DE on my horses, it made their hooves hard and strong. I didn't notice any reduction in flies and did not run fecals to check for worms. They looked slick and healthy to me. I used DE because it is safe for dung beetles. It can't be mixed with water, as it settles to the bottom. I sprinkled it over their feed. For a goat, I would think a tablespoon or two.

@sadieml DE is not good to breathe, whether food grade or swimming pool grade. The swimming pool grade has been heated, which makes it like glass shards, hence the "do not ingest" warning about swimming pool DE. The food grade DE carries a warning not to inhale. I dusted the portable building I used for a feed shed, around the edges for roaches. It worked, but when I swept out the building, I used a paper face mask.

Recently, the feed store offered us 500 pounds of weevil infested crimped corn, which we gladly took. We mixed DE in it and put it in a big trash can outside, well away from our feed shed. The pigs eat it. Do they also get the benefit from the DE and thus no worms? I don't know. We also give the pigs acorns and pecans we raked up, so they get the benefit of the tannins from them. Worms? They certainly look healthy to me. I haven't collected poop and taken to the vet, so I can't give you an absolute either way. But I know they are gaining weight, growing and will soon go to slaughter.

 

[sadieml]

Hello, all. I haven't been around much the past 2 weeks or so. Lots going on around here.

@Baymule - I have done a lot of research about DE, and although I choose not to breathe any type of dust, since I seem to be increasingly sensitive to it as I get older, and do not wish to become the 4th of my parents 2nd hand smoker's (out of 6 kids) with some degree of COPD or chronic bronchitis, I am convinced that while inhaling swimming pool grade DE can be quite dangerous, and consuming it can be fatal, FOOD grade DE (containing less than 1% crystalline silica) is "reasonably safe" to inhale provided it is near or below the PEL, or Permissible Exposure Limit. Here is a link to an article referencing OSHA's decision NOT to raise the PEL citing "health evidence...is not sufficiently persuasive" to support a change. If I am not mistaken (which is always a proba..er, excuse me, a possibility), the current level of 6mg/m3 is sort of a mild "cloud of dust" which I endeavor to avoid no matter the content. The point is, unless you're doing some heavy dusting, you're alright to inhale a little of the food grade stuff, whereas the swimming pool stuff is not safe in small amounts. Don't worry, I'm not being argumentative. I strongly discourage inhaling anything other than nice, clean air, smoke or dust of ANY kind included. I just don't want anyone to panic when sprinkling DE into human or animal food thinking it might be dangerous. Also, as soon as I can get the 50lb bag of Fossil Shell Flour from Perma-Guard (retail @ $40) I will no longer use the food grade stuff I've gotten in the past for animals or us.

About the DE in the weevilly corn, I would not be surprised if the pigs are getting some anti-critter benefits from the DE you added. I do think DE is awesome, but I try to be a little skeptical about pretty much everything these days, since I suffered greatly in my youth for being naive and entirely too trusting. Thank the Lord He answered my prayers for a husband filled with discernment, since (though I know it is part of the fruit of the Spirit) it is NOT part of my nature.