Food degree diatomaceous footing (also known every bit DE as well as fossilized vanquish flour) is a naturally-occurring, fossilized mineral dust amongst microscopic, razor-sharp edges that human activity every bit a mechanical insecticide yesteryear slicing into insects' bodies as well as absorbing their bodily fluids thereby dehydrating them to death. I practise non occupation or advocate the occupation of food degree diatomaceous earth amongst backyard chickens for whatsoever reason. The assurance that DE is a “natural” production lulls users into a faux feel of security near its regular occupation inward chickens’ environment, but arsenic as well as mercury are natural too- natural does non hateful rubber for every purpose. The presence of DE inward the environs is a wellness direct a opportunity to humans as well as chickens.
Silicon dioxide, the drying chemical constituent inward DE, exists primarily inward the amorphous form, but also contains the to a greater extent than dangerous, crystalline form. The Material Data Safety Sheets written yesteryear manufacturers of nutrient degree DE caution users to avoid creating dust, avoid inhaling dust, occupation local exhaust ventilation, wearable coveralls, occupation respirators as well as wearable security goggles. The occupation of DE inward the coop or dust bathroom ensures its constant presence inward the air.
While nosotros typically intend of the immune arrangement every bit working within the body, pare is the largest organ of the chicken’s immune arrangement as well as its showtime business of defence against pathogens as well as disease. Skin’s functions are to human activity every bit a barrier against pathogens as well as other potentially harmful substances, retain vital fluids as well as gases, as well as alerts chickens to the proximity of potential threats amongst its network of highly sensitive nervus endings. Another aspect of the immune arrangement is the mucous membranes inward the mouth, vent, eyes as well as ears that possess populations of beneficial microflora charged amongst defending ports of access into the chicken’s trunk from invasion yesteryear pathogens. DE dries these moist membranes, disrupting the beneficial populations of microflora, rendering the aeroplane vulnerable to pathogens as well as disease. Yet some other detrimental drying trial of DE on the immune arrangement is robbing chickens of the natural oils they preen onto their feathers to maintain skillful status as well as furnish effective insulation inward mutual frigidity weather.
If the insecticide activity of DE is to cutting into insects’ hard exoskeletons as well as dry out them to death, DE is most assuredly lacerating as well as drying out your chicken’s immune system!
WHY DO SOME CHICKEN KEEPERS USE DE?
I intend many backyard chicken keepers believe they should occupation DE because somebody recommended it to them without agreement its dangers. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 aspect at usually articulated reasons for using DE amongst chickens reveals several things: it’s unnecessary, it’s unsafe, as well as it’s ineffective for the purported uses.
The primary purported benefits of nutrient degree DE yesteryear chicken hobbyists are every bit a drying agent inward coop litter, an insecticide as well as a de-wormer, but nutrient degree DE is non approved inward the the States for whatsoever of those uses amongst chickens. DE is exclusively approved for occupation every bit a pelleting aid, anti-caking agent as well as period of time agent inward livestock feed non to laissez passer on 2% of the total diet. In other words, it helps pellets stick together as well as prevents wet feed ingredients from sticking to storage containers as well as machinery.1
Purported Use #1: Absorb Moisture & Neutralize Ammonia
While densely populated commercial poultry houses are expected to convey difficulty controlling wet as well as ammonia fumes inward the litter, backyard chicken keepers should not. There is no excuse for a backyard chicken coop to survive as well as hence wet or as well as hence muddied that it smells similar ammonia. If your chicken coop smells similar ammonia, the coop should survive cleaned, ventilation improved, as well as an alternate litter type used that volition move along the coop dry. DE does non neutralize ammonia.
Purported Use #2: Insecticide
We would never fathom taking antibiotics daily every bit a preventative due to fearfulness of ane solar daytime contracting a bacterial infection; similarly, chickens should non survive subjected to whatsoever insecticide daily every bit a preventative mensurate due to the fearfulness of lice or mites. It is unnatural as well as unnecessary to seek to eradicate every insect inward the chicken yard, all day, every solar daytime amongst diatomaceous earth. 
I intend many backyard chicken keepers believe they should occupation DE because somebody recommended it to them without agreement its dangers. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 aspect at usually articulated reasons for using DE amongst chickens reveals several things: it’s unnecessary, it’s unsafe, as well as it’s ineffective for the purported uses.
The primary purported benefits of nutrient degree DE yesteryear chicken hobbyists are every bit a drying agent inward coop litter, an insecticide as well as a de-wormer, but nutrient degree DE is non approved inward the the States for whatsoever of those uses amongst chickens. DE is exclusively approved for occupation every bit a pelleting aid, anti-caking agent as well as period of time agent inward livestock feed non to laissez passer on 2% of the total diet. In other words, it helps pellets stick together as well as prevents wet feed ingredients from sticking to storage containers as well as machinery.1
While densely populated commercial poultry houses are expected to convey difficulty controlling wet as well as ammonia fumes inward the litter, backyard chicken keepers should not. There is no excuse for a backyard chicken coop to survive as well as hence wet or as well as hence muddied that it smells similar ammonia. If your chicken coop smells similar ammonia, the coop should survive cleaned, ventilation improved, as well as an alternate litter type used that volition move along the coop dry. DE does non neutralize ammonia.
We would never fathom taking antibiotics daily every bit a preventative due to fearfulness of ane solar daytime contracting a bacterial infection; similarly, chickens should non survive subjected to whatsoever insecticide daily every bit a preventative mensurate due to the fearfulness of lice or mites. It is unnatural as well as unnecessary to seek to eradicate every insect inward the chicken yard, all day, every solar daytime amongst diatomaceous earth.
Diatomaceous footing kills indiscriminately. The mightiness of beneficial bacteria to flourish inward a deep litter system as well as inward compost depends upon on a balanced ecosystem of bacteria as well as insect activity; efforts to kill all the bad bugs also kill the desirable skillful ones. One manufacturer’s advisory warns: “Avoid dusting flowers as well as other areas where bees as well as beneficial insects may land, every bit diatomaceous footing has the potential to negatively affect most insects that come upwardly inward contact amongst it.”2
If it e'er becomes necessary to occupation an insecticide, in that location are other much to a greater extent than effective, natural insecticides available that practise non endanger wellness of chickens, humans or beneficial insects every bit diatomaceous footing does.
Purported Use #3: De-wormer
Because DE is an absorbent, when placed inward a wet environs such every bit the digestive tract, it becomes ineffective. DE particles cannot dehydrate as well as kill worms or intestinal parasites inward the gut if the particles are already total of H2O inward the same means a sponge saturated amongst H2O cannot absorb to a greater extent than water. Further, the precipitous edges convey the capacity to inflict microscopic lacerations inward the bird’s mouth, esophagus as well as crop- at to the lowest degree until they move fully saturated yesteryear bodily fluids.
Sources & farther reading: See below.
If it e'er becomes necessary to occupation an insecticide, in that location are other much to a greater extent than effective, natural insecticides available that practise non endanger wellness of chickens, humans or beneficial insects every bit diatomaceous footing does.
Because DE is an absorbent, when placed inward a wet environs such every bit the digestive tract, it becomes ineffective. DE particles cannot dehydrate as well as kill worms or intestinal parasites inward the gut if the particles are already total of H2O inward the same means a sponge saturated amongst H2O cannot absorb to a greater extent than water. Further, the precipitous edges convey the capacity to inflict microscopic lacerations inward the bird’s mouth, esophagus as well as crop- at to the lowest degree until they move fully saturated yesteryear bodily fluids.
Sources & farther reading: See below.
Sand dust bathroom above, mulch dust bathroom below.
Sources as well as farther reading:
Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, Damerow, Gail. Storey Publishing, 1995.
The Chicken, Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Natural History, Barber, Joseph. Race Point Publishing (2012)
Diseases of Poultry, 13th Edition, Saif, Y.M.
http://npic.orst.edu
http://www.mtsylviadiatomite.com.au/
Diatomite Mining as well as Processing Quarles, W. 1992. Diatomaceous footing for pest control. The IPM practitioner. Monitoring Field Pest Manage. 14:1–11. Quisenberry, J. H. 1967.
Eshleman, J. C. 1966. Poultry feed containing near 1% diatomaceous earth. the States Pat. No. 3,271,161.
Korunic, Z. 1998. Diatomaceous earths, a grouping of natural insecticides. J. Stored Prod. Res. 34:87–97. Kouba, M. 2003.