allie
Junior Member
Posts: 206
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Post by allie on Sept 7, 2010 20:18:45 GMT -6
Does molting affect egg production? My rouen is molting (the poor thing looks rough) and I have noticed she has not been laying well lately. She usually lays more consistenly than our hens do, but she has only laid a couple of times in the past week or so.
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Post by rinksgi on Sept 7, 2010 20:59:38 GMT -6
It most certainly does! It takes lots of protein to make new feathers and that does not leave much left over for the eggs. Reproduction always comes after maintenance.
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allie
Junior Member
Posts: 206
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Post by allie on Sept 8, 2010 5:14:04 GMT -6
I thought it must have something to do with it, but I wasn't sure. Thanks, Gina!
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Post by rinksgi on Sept 8, 2010 8:31:36 GMT -6
You can help by feeding a little dry cat food, or I find D.E. helps a lot. Just make sure to get food grade.
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allie
Junior Member
Posts: 206
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Post by allie on Sept 8, 2010 13:35:33 GMT -6
We got some D.E. last night for our chickens, but haven't done anything with it since it has been raining. Will it say that it is food grade on the bag? I have never given her cat food, but we had a dog until a few weeks ago and she loved his food.
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Post by spamela on Sept 8, 2010 15:21:10 GMT -6
Allie- Where did you get the D.E... It will definitely say it is food grade on the bag or container. But it's not always the most visible thing on the bag.
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allie
Junior Member
Posts: 206
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Post by allie on Sept 8, 2010 16:36:55 GMT -6
We got it at Stockdales. I told my husband and he said that it is food grade. Hopefully it will help our chickens, too. They haven't been laying that well lately, either.
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Post by gardendaddy on Sept 8, 2010 21:46:29 GMT -6
R & J Feed has it as well as TSC I think...I know R & J has it for sure. Go in and ask "Ginger" and she will be glad to help you. Mike...aka...Garden Daddy www.gardendaddy.blogspot.com |
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allie
Junior Member
Posts: 206
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Post by allie on Sept 9, 2010 7:36:30 GMT -6
Mike, R&J is a little far for us-we are in Tipton Co, but what we got at Stockdales should work Thanks!
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Post by gardendaddy on Sept 9, 2010 10:39:33 GMT -6
Sorry...I did not know where you were...
Mike
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8bells
Junior Member
Chickens are Revolting
Posts: 137
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Post by 8bells on Sept 10, 2010 1:51:24 GMT -6
What on earth could be the possible benefits of DE? It is a razor sharp crystalline silica that is not dissolved in water or oil, it is unaffected by all known acids. It is millions of years old, and has not yet decomposed. OSHA puts workers who work with it in the same classification as those who work with powdered asbestos...they are working with a substance known to cause respiratory illnesses including lung cancer.
What may I ask, do you think it will do to help a chicken? Why not just feed them ground up glass...its virtually the same thing?
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Post by spamela on Sept 10, 2010 10:38:24 GMT -6
FOOD GRADE DE is a VERY good option for "organic" pest control. You have probably consumed it yourself more than you have realized, (kinda like MSG). It actually is used in a lot of consumer goods as filler (cosmetics, drugs, etc.), pesticide (grain storage, livestock) and as a filter (swimming pools, this grade has been heated and chemically treated). It's rumored to be mixed in consumer flours and corn meals to help kill off flour bugs. But how is used is based on grades. ONLY food grade DE is recommended for livestock and or home use. You would have to magnify it 7000x to even see the "spiney" honeycombs. I would think that an animal that swallows rocks and keeps them in their gizzard to help with grind up food would be ok, with a little microscopic help.
I personally have used it in my coop to eliminate mites and mixed in my chicken feed to eliminate worms with no ill effects. It works great, I have never had any problem with mites. And I know people who have used it for years with nothing but the best results.
Do I recommend going home and sticking your head in the bag and huffing it everyday? No probably not. But no dust is safe if inhaled. And in comparison to some of the alternative methods, this was the best choice (at least to try) in my opinion. It should be used in recommended dosage and applications. I put on the floor of my coop (thin thin layer) and then layer the shavings in with it.
OSHAs responsibility is to air on the side of caution for employees benefit. The EPA is responsible for determining environmental impact.
Ground up glass it is not..... Food Grade DE is diatoms (phytoplankton, plant), glass is mainly quartz (miniral, rock) silica.
Bottom line... Everything in moderation.
Or a shot of DE a day keeps the doctor away!! lol
Pam
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Below is some info I pulled from the web.
Food grade diatomaceous earth is EPA approved to be mixed with grains to control mealworms and other pests and has been exempted from tolerance requirements as an inert, inactive ingredient in chemical pesticides. Diatomaceous earth is EPA approved against indoor and outdoor crawling insects. Diatomaceous earth is USDA approved as an anti-caking agent for animal feed. Diatomaceous earth is FDA approved for internal and external use and has a rating of Food Chemical Codex Grade.
INTERNAL PARASITE CONTROL: Food grade diatomaceous earth makes a very effective natural insecticide. The insecticidal quality of diatomaceous earth is due to the razor sharp edges (remember magnified 7000x) of the diatom remains. When diatomaceous earth comes in contact with the insects, the sharp edges lacerate the bugs waxy exoskeleton and then the powdery diatomaceous earth absorbs the body fluids causing death from dehydration.
Food grade diatomaceous earth has been used for at least two decades as a natural wormer for livestock. Some believe diatomaceous earth scratches and dehydrates parasites. Some scientists believe that diatomaceous earth is a de-ionizer or de-energizer of worms or parasites. Regardless, people report definite control. To be most effective, food grade diatomaceous earth must be fed long enough to catch all newly hatching eggs or cycling of the worms through the lungs and back to the stomach. A minimum of 60 days is suggested by many, 90 days is advised for lungworms.
Food grade diatomaceous earth works in a purely physical/mechanical manner, not "chemical" and thus has no chemical toxicity. Best yet, parasites don’t build up a tolerance/immunity to its chemical reaction, so rotation of wormers is unnecessary.
People often ask why our DE is rated Food Chemical Codex Grade. If it was only labeled as "food" grade, people would think it is only useful as a food supplement and since DE "acts" like a chemical by dehydrating insects, it was labeled "Chemical" grade since it acts like a chemical, but it is NOT a true chemical like a pesticide or insecticide. It is perfectly safe for oral consumption.
*CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS OF FEEDING CODEX FOOD GRADE DIATOMACEOUS EARTH TO DOGS, O.C. Collins, DVM, Midland Animal Clinic And Hospital, Midland, TX: “In clinical observations of feeding dogs over 35 lbs. 1 tbsp./day and under 35 lbs. 1 tsp./day of DE, within seven days all ova disappeared from stools. DE controlled Ascardis (Toxacara canids), Hookworms (Anclyostoma caninum), and Whipworms (Trichuris vulipis).”
*RESULTS ON FEEDING CODEX FOOD GRADE DIATOMACEOUS EARTH TO WALKING HORSE, L. Thomas, Trainer, L. Frank Roper Stables, Winter Garden, FL: “With horses fed approximately 5 oz. of DE mixed in the feed twice daily, the following results were observed: Stopped scours even on horses that had not responded to any other medications. Noticeable fly reduction. Horses showed an increase in appetites. Weight gain due to better feed conversion. Reduction in manure odor. Elimination of any internal parasites. Healthier appearance.
Daily recommended food grade diatomaceous earth feeding rates:
Kittens - 1/2 teaspoon
Cats - 1 teaspoon
Puppies - 1/2 to 1 tsp.
Dogs under 35 lbs. - 1 teaspoon
Dogs over 35 lbs. - 1 tablespoon
Dogs over 100 lbs. - 2 tablespoons
Cattle, Dairy Cows, & Hogs - 2% of dry feed ration
Chickens - 5% in feed
Goats, Sheep, Alpacas, & Llamas - 2% in grain
Horses - 1/2 to 1 cup in daily ration
Zoo animals - 2% in daily feed
*Humans - 1 heaping tablespoon daily
Internal feeding of food grade diatomaceous earth helps eliminate most internal worms, including roundworms, pin worms, tapeworms, etc. It's also excellent when fed daily to keep down fly loads, since food grade diatomaceous earth is eliminated from the body, exactly the way it went in, it helps reduce the manure odor and kills flies that come in contact with it.
Mix in animal feed or grain and/or feed free choice. Our goats, fowl, and dogs eat it free choice.
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allie
Junior Member
Posts: 206
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Post by allie on Sept 10, 2010 13:32:51 GMT -6
We dusted our chickens last night to get rid of mites. We got a new little roo last weekend and found it had mites. After dusting almost 30 chickens, I was covered, but our chickens seem to like it. We sprinkled it in their bedding and in the coop and in the places they take baths in. I've seen a couple of them eating it. One was eating it off my arm when we were dusting them.
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Post by gardendaddy on Sept 10, 2010 13:42:12 GMT -6
BTW...It is often used as well in some tooth paste.
Mike...aka...Garden Daddy
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Post by herb on Sept 10, 2010 15:32:17 GMT -6
BTW...It is often used as well in some tooth paste. Mike...aka...Garden Daddy So that's why I do have wormy teeth? |
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