Diatomaceous Earth: Great for Your Flock

Many chicken keepers swear by diatomaceous earth (DE), as it provides a variety of positive benefits for both your flock and your household.  Our flock has benefited from DE, and it has helped cut down the cockroach population in our house and yard.  

Food grade diatomaceous earth:

• Is a natural pest deterrent that is safe for you, your chickens, and other pets.
• It keeps your flock healthy by killing ticks, fleas, and digestive worms.
• It naturally keeps cockroaches and other pests out of your house, and away from your chicken feed containers.
• It can provide your birds with valuable trace minerals, when added in small amounts to chicken feed.
• It is good in the garden, as it will kill aphids and other pests naturally.

What is diatomaceous earth and how does it work?

• Diatomaceaous earth is the fossilized remains of Diatoms, which are microscopic one celled algae with hard shells.
• It kills bugs and unwanted pest by desiccation, which means it cuts their exoskeleton and drys them out.  No nasty chemicals!

How do I use/apply diatomaceous earth?

• Its a VERY fine powder, so sprinkle it where you need it: In your chicken coop area, behind or under major appliances, sprinkle a perimeter around your house and property, and around and in chicken feed bins.
• You can use a homemade device to distribute it, or you can purchase an applicator.
• NOTE: It is a very fine powder, so wear a mask when you apply it.

CAUTIONS:

• Please use food grade diatomaceous earth only for your flock and your household, as other grades can contain chemicals which may be harmful.
• Food grade DE contains very low percentages of crystalline silica, while non-food grade contains higher amounts. Crystalline silica is not good for your lungs (it's sharp and drying), so wear a mask even when applying food grade DE (just to be extra safe).

Where can I find food grade DE?

• Call around to your local feed stores and organic gardening stores to find out if they carry food grade DE. (We found ours at the Gardeners Guild)
• If you can't find it locally, it can be purchased online from a variety of retailers, but with shipping costs it is much more expensive.  Just do a Google search for food grade diatomaceous earth.