Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

Read this interesting post on DE this afternoon.
I personally swear by the stuff, but it's always nice to have a shadow of doubt to make you be aware in case a certain aspect of it isn't working as you anticipated. Like when one of the girls got round worm when I use DE in their feed. So now I don't assume they are worm free.

Anyways. Here it is.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/0 ... k.html?m=1

Thank you. I like reading science that is well put and this qualifies. There are some "old wives tales" that are based on good long experience and work, and others that border on the witch doctor stuff. I like finding out the science behind something.

I use dustbath of DE. I have it in the coop in a ruffneck tote. They stay pretty good, and it is great in the winter when there is noo other place for them to dustbath. But I still get the odd one with scaly leg mites, which I treat with coppertox. And my birds get a worming in the fall, after there is hard frost, so eggs and stuff that might pass have a much less chance of surviving. I change the wormer each year, so hopefully resistance does not build up. So my birds probably do have some parasites, but not an overload that will seriously harm them or kill them.

That's my way, maybe not everyones and doesn't have to be, but seems to work for me.

Next subject, vaccinations. That should set a brushfire here on PTO.

I have DE in a few bins too. I don't let them dust bathe in the coop. Too dusty and I always wondered how the dusting OFF mites where they would go. Dusting is outside and I have lids I take off and on each day. They have a corner they like and I dump ash there.

I appreciate your relaxed yet confident approach to your flock management. Nice to see. It's my goal. I'm hoping with experience, it brings the calm.

Do you mean vaccination for poultry/livestock or humans?

I don't mean anything about vaccinations. I just felt ornery and wanted to start a fight, and knew I could. Now I will stand back at the edge and yell FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! Just like at recess.

About where the mites go after being dusted off. My understanding is that the microscopic sharp edges of the DE cut the body of the mite and they lose so much fluid that they die. Then fall off. I don't think they just jump off whole.

Farrier1987 wrote:QR_BBPOST I don't mean anything about vaccinations. I just felt ornery and wanted to start a fight, and knew I could. Now I will stand back at the edge and yell FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! Just like at recess.

Vaxx is being touched on in the ChemTrails thread.