Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[troyca]

Collecting the stuff for chook arrival, I noticed Diatom can be used as wormer as well as mite preventer.It can also be used on dogs. Do I need to get flubevet too?

[Redwing]

Speaking personally I wouldnt use Diatom as a wormer, it has microscopic sharp edges and I just wouldnt feel comfortable feeding it in any quantity to my hens - but thats just me!

[Egluntyne]

I wouldn't rely on it to clear a hen that is already infested with worms.

 

However, if added to the feed continuously, it might lower the worm burden sufficiently that the hen can cope with it.

 

It is reputed to improve the uptake of nutrients from the hens diet.

[beulah59]

Re Diatom ...

 

I've used it on the cats ... they hate being dusted!

 

I put it in the hens nest box, dust it round the coop, was putting it in their feed when they ate mash, throw some on the ground wherever they dig a dust bath. I will still add it to their porridge, I think, since it's no longer in their feed.

 

But I also worm with Flubenvet regularly ... belt and braces approach! Diatom is a preventative, but not a treatment.

[The Dogmother]

I use it in their dust bath, but wouldn't rely on it as either a wormer, nor as a lice prep. I have seen mites walking across it, so it can't be that effective!

[Jools]

As far as I know, Diatom doesn't actually kill mites or lice on contact. It's the microscopic sharp edges that do the damage to their outer surfaces, causing them to dry out and die. So you will see them walk right over it with no apparant ill effect, but not for long!

 

Assuming that's the same way it deals with worms, it won't actually do anything to prevent them - well other than kill them. I can't comment on how effective it is as a wormer because I've never used it for that purpose.

 

Actually I've stopped using it all together because I have asthma and an aversion to face masks.

[The Dogmother]

The mites I commented on had been living in Diatom for weeks, they all looked very alive to me.

[Jools]

Sorry, I thought you said you'd seen them walking across it not living in it.

 

I have no first hand experience, I'm just repeating what I've read about how it works.

 

You're pretty intimate with mites if you can tell them apart enough to know they're the same ones weeks later.

[The Dogmother]

Sorry, I hadn't thought it necessary to be specific. All I can say to elaborate (as you seem so keen on details ) is that the housing concerned had been liberally coated inside with Diatom. The keeper concerned still had mites crawling around and through it, in fact the infestation seemed to be growing. This lead them to believe that Diatom wasn't indeed killing them off.

 

I saw this myself and it was a very bad infestation. I remember a debate on here about the same time - someone on here (ws it Gallina?) had exactly the same problem.

 

Lice, mite and worming products were far less widely available in those days and there wasn't nearly as much choice as we're lucky to have now.

[Redwing]

I bought some DE powder and it didnt have much of an effect, I bought a different make from ebay and boy did those mites die one puff and they hung on to the coop for about ten seconds then fell off and squirming like mad died while I stood and shouted at them for invading my hens! so maybe some brands are better than others, its popular stuff so maybe gets 'watered down' by some sellers

 

I guess strictly rather than a worm preventative it would be a worm 'treatment' and I use that term loosely before you all jump on me! it scratches the surface of the parasite to work so a parasite would need to be there to be scratched surely???

 

Although my hens can preen the powder off themselves I personally wont be intentonally feeding it to my hens, anything that can scratch the surface of a bug can scratch the insides of my chooks - irrational maybe but thats my belief!

[Valkyrie]

It seems to kill off the slugs that eat chicken poo though!

[sandyhas3chucks]

Is there no problem with them breathing in the dust?

I mean if we shouldn't breathe, it why is it ok for them?

(thinking about dust bathing)

[sandyhas3chucks]

Sorry, I hadn't thought it necessary to be specific. All I can say to elaborate (as you seem so keen on details ) is that the housing concerned had .

[Jools]

Sorry, I hadn't thought it necessary to be specific. All I can say to elaborate (as you seem so keen on details )

 

Yeah walk in / live in, same difference eh. I meant no offence, my intention was just to clarify how Diatom works.

 

I bought some DE powder and it didnt have much of an effect, I bought a different make from ebay and boy did those mites die one puff and they hung on to the coop for about ten seconds then fell off and squirming like mad died while I stood and shouted at them for invading my hens! so maybe some brands are better than others, its popular stuff so maybe gets 'watered down' by some sellers

 

That's interesting Tasha, not something you'd necessarily think of. Maybe you should name the brand(s) that work to make sure people buy the right one.

 

It seems to kill off the slugs that eat chicken poo though!

 

There must be some clever slug control marketing to be done here somewhere!

 

Is there no problem with them breathing in the dust? I mean if we shouldn't breathe, it why is it ok for them?

 

That's crossed my mind too Sandy. If I still used it, I'd look into it.

[Egluntyne]

It seems to kill off the slugs that eat chicken poo though!

 

I used it to protect some lettuce seedlings last year and it did help, so slugs at least must dislike it.

 

When using diatom, it is sensible to take precautions such as wearing gloves as it has a drying effect on the skin and not sprinkling it about too liberally so as to create dust clouds, as it is not a good idea to inhale it or get it in the eyes......for both humans and chickens.

 

The recommended feed rate for chickens is 5%.

 

For maximum effect against redmite and other external parasites, it has to be bone dry. It loses some of its oomph if damp. Once dried out it works again.