How Quickly Does Albendazole Work?

[eggscombobulated]

Should the chickens be sprinkled with diatom weekly or is that being a tad too fussy? There food has it , their cube, the run......am I being overzealous?!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I only dust their armpits and botties when I remember (every couple of months ). It gets dusted round the roosting bars weekly though!

[cordelia]

i dust their perches and nest...liberally....weekly I'd say...

[JM]

I've been using it regularly and have just bought some more. This time I read the sheet that was sent with it.

 

I'm not an expert in diatoms, and I may be wrong, but I think care has to be taken with it - especially regarding breathing it in when you are applying it (it could cause serious lung disease with long term use) - but also if you compost it. As diatoms are fossils, the powder won't degrade, so will always be there. If you compost for a long time, the concentration of the diatom power in the compost will build up, and could have a degrading effect on beneficial insects - it doesn't just kill red mite, it will kill other insects and beasties (scientific term there) in the soil.

 

So although it is a great product, I have decided to be a bit more cautious about using it.

 

But I'm quite happy if someone tells me my thinking is wrong!

 

J

[Gallina]

I use Diatom very sparingly indeed. You are right about it being very dangerous if inhaled: I imagine that goes for the hens too. I certainly wouldn't use it like talcum powder.

 

I am not sure about its effect on a compost heap. I make a new heap every few months, and the quantity of Diatom in my heap would not amount to more than a tablespoon, so it isn't going to damage that many micro-organisms. And presumably it doesn't remain razor-sharp for ever?

 

Certainly if it was going on the compost heap in bucket-loads it would be a serious cause for concern.

[Egluntyne]

It is recommended for vegetable plots and is quite good at keeping slugs at bay so I wouldn't imagine that it would disrupt the composting process too much.

[JM]

Thanks for the sanit checks Galina and Egluntine! - I was puffing it about before (while holding my breath!! ) - I'm a bit more careful now.

[surferdog]

I put it in the dustbath but the chooks scoff the lot - is it likely to do them any harm?

[JM]

I don't think it's a problem if they eat it - it's more a problem with breathing in the particles when in the air.