What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[alih]

I have just taken delivery of some diatom and want to add it to the feed as I gether we can and the girls don't have a particular dust bath to use, they just bathe anywhere. How much do I add, and how often please?

[Egg Lou]

Hi alih

 

I use it in feed, bath and everywhere! I add about a desert spoon to every grub full.. I'm sure everyone adds different amounts though.

[Yolky]

I think that using it as a dust bath would stop different bugs than using it in their feed. If you have no dustbath perhaps you could use an old talk bottle to puff a little under wings/near vent?

[Mutrix Farmers]

If you have no dustbath perhaps you could use an old talk bottle to puff a little under wings/near vent?

 

Now that's a good idea. I always seem to chose the days it rains to put diatom in the dustbath (I call it a dustbath but it's actually an area of flower bed the girls have adopted and reduced to a large hole)

[alih]

it is a good idea - mine use the flower bed too and have to wait till it's dry enough..

[pbfhpunk]

I saw a tip somewhere for adding powder to food, think it might have bene in the shop, but to make sure the pwder doesn't get left in the bottom of the grub mix with the pellets and some vegetable oil to make sure it sticks.

 

Helen

[StephanieSB]

I saw a tip somewhere for adding powder to food

 

Well, this puts my mind at ease, as I add the DE to the dust bath and the chooks eat it out of there. I was worried about that, but now I see it is edible, so... good all around. Thanks.

[TAJ]

It basically dries up internal and external parasites - so in food is good as a worm preventative and on them/dust bath/nesting box good against lice, etc.

 

Tracy