Is my pekin bantam male or female?

[debbie26pet]

im coming to the end of my big tub of stalasan, and have heard others mention i think it spelt diatam?

which do you find the best cleanest etc

need it for chickens and ducks

[chelsea]

I use stalosan, but I think Diatom is a completely different product to stalosan.

 

Stalosan is an agricultural powder which nutralises the soil and helps prevent disease in livestock, I didnt realise diatom served the same purpose (someone correct me if im wrong! )

[debbie26pet]

i forgot to say my chickens run is on flags and auboise, but my ducks are on the soil and gravel

[Helen&Lee]

I use stalosan, but I think Diatom is a completely different product to stalosan.

 

Stalosan is an agricultural powder which nutralises the soil and helps prevent disease in livestock, I didnt realise diatom served the same purpose (someone correct me if im wrong! )

 

I agree with you Chelsea, I was looking at both yesterday at the Domestic Fowl Trust.

 

Stalosan is effect for nuetralising the soil, getting rid of bacteria in it etc.

 

Diatom is more to do with red mite control.

 

Helen

[Laura & CTB]

Debbie I use Stalosan in the run after I've cleaned it, diatom I put in the dustbath and sprinkle in the nestbox.

[WitchHazel]

Stalosan is a very effective, poultry safe, disinfectant powder. It kills all sorts of bugs and nasties, but is not particularly a red mite eradicator, You sprinlle it all over your run floor, in the nest box, in the dustbath, anywhere where you might want disinfecting.

 

Diatom is crushed up sea creatures, and when Mites crawl over the diatom, the sharp 9to them, not us) edges of the diatom scores their tough shells, which then kills them. Datom is sprinkled anywhere where you might have red mite lurking: nooks, crannies, bits of wood, in the dustbath etc.

 

Both products are excellent, and both are designed to do completely different things.

 

Hope that helps.

[debbie26pet]

grt thanks i get a powder now in a tub called red mite is that the same? and another for louse,

[WitchHazel]

The Barrier Red Mite powder (in the tall cylindrical tub) isn't the same as Diatom. The Red MIte powder is usually dusted onto the birds (smells lovely), and you can also use it in the dustbath and nestbox.

 

It would kill any red mite it comes into contact with. Diatom is sprinkled onto the wood etc and kills the red mite because they walk across it and it damages their protective shells,

 

Teh red mite powder might well work (although in a different way) for the roosting bars. I don't use mine for that though,

[debbie26pet]

grt thanks it does smell nice, and i do use it everywere, now i thinks, it wont do any harm to use some of the Diatom, so im of to buy now thanks, does the Diatom smell nice?

[WitchHazel]

does the Diatom smell nice?

 

No.

 

It doesn't smell of anything much,

[JamesH]

The diatom is very absorbant though so does help with odours and dries the poops up. I use it inside the henhouse only really with the stalosan f which also goes in the covered run.

 

Is your duck run covered? Also how do you clean it? You could perhaps use a hosepipe and then a liquid disinfectant in a pump sprayer?