My neighbor swore by mixing DE into the feed for mites

Old Bob from down the street told me to mix diatomaceous earth into my hens' feed every day to prevent mites, so I did it for about 3 months straight. Then I found out from a vet that DE in the feed can actually dry out their respiratory systems if you overdo it, and now two of my birds have this weird cough. Has anyone else had a vet tell them DE is bad in the feed or is Bob just full of it?

2 comments

2 Comments

thomas_roberts1mo ago

Bob's not full of it but he's wrong about using it daily. I had the same thing happen with a few pullets and my vet said DE in the feed is fine for a week or two to knock out internal parasites but long term it'll mess with their lungs and crop. Cut the DE out of their food and keep their dust bath area stocked with it instead, that usually clears up the cough in a couple weeks.

price.jake1mo ago

Yeah I read a study from some ag extension a while back that said the same thing. Fine silica particles in DE can build up in a chicken's lungs over time if it's mixed in feed every day. Causes scarring and breathing problems. The dust bath method makes more sense to me too.