[langdon]

just arrived today in post.
have applied to my chucks and house.
there was two birds in fact that were affected so they are in the t.l.c. department!
does or has anyone else use this product before.
if so would love to hear your views.
langdon.
p.s. as im on the subject of chucks we noticed eddie our cockerel is getting pecked a little
by one perticular hen. we thought he should man up to this behaviour as he is suppost
the boss in there!.
again has anyone had this before with your chucks, if so again i would love to hear your thoughts

[Wizard]

Langdon Ever heard of under her thumb

[doganjo]

Ever heard the phrase 'hen pecked' ?  Now you know what it means!  he ISN'T the boss!

[marigold]

I haven't used diatom yet but the breeder i got my croads from swears by it - i'll be interested to hear how it goes.

[Wizard]

Annie you can  always tell if he not wearing a hat.Its that bit of bare skin more or less on the top of his head that gives it away

[harry]

Henpecked no such thing ime the boss in my house when i ask for my tea i expect it. s**t my wifes just come in, must go.

[Wizard]

I dont care so long as dinner is on time

[doganjo]

Make it yourself then it will be

Back to Diatomaceous Earth - or Fuller's Earth.  I use it regularly in my hen and duck houses.

[Wizard]

I know a bit about diatomatious earth I used it in swim pool filters Its dead bodies of little sea creatures.Its extremely light and water pumped through it comes out very sparkling NOT sterile though just clean

[Red Kite]

Make it yourself then it will be

Back to Diatomaceous Earth - or Fuller's Earth.  I use it regularly in my hen and duck houses.

Is that all it is? That would make life cheaper!

I use diatom powder each time I clean out the house and nestbox, I sprinkle it everywhere, especially in the corners and where the sides meet the floor. So far (touches wood), I've not seen any red mites.

Jan

[langdon]

ta jan allways good to know that others use the same products.

[doganjo]

That's what I was told by my friend's husband - a research chemist, but I'm not sure it's exactly the same.  .  Apparently it dries little beasties up by absorbing fluid from them and they die.  But don't quote me.
Wikipedia says this about diatom  -

Diatomaceous earth (pronounced /ˌdaɪ.ətɵˌmeɪʃəs ˈɜrθ/) also known as diatomite or kieselgur, is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. It has a particle size ranging from less than 1 micron to more than 1 millimeter, but typically 10 to 200 microns.[1] This powder has an abrasive feel, similar to pumice powder, and is very light, due to its high porosity. The typical chemical composition of oven dried diatomaceous earth is 80 to 90% silica, with 2 to 4% alumina (attributed mostly to clay minerals) and 0.5 to 2% iron oxide.[1]

Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. It is used as a filtration aid, as a mild abrasive, as a mechanical insecticide, as an absorbent for liquids, as cat litter, as an activator in blood clotting studies, and as a component of dynamite. As it is also heat-resistant, it can be used as a thermal insulator.

and this about fullers - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuller%27s_earth

[langdon]

dont you find it quite expensive to use it everytime you clean out.
the worst thing about these so needed products is that they are so expensive.

[Wizard]

Yes Annie isn't that what I wrote in the second Wiki Para but they said it much better than I but that's what it is and I'm not telling you people on here what ratio to mix it with nitro chalk and saltpetre etc; but it can make almighty bang and make the bits fall off

[doganjo]

dont you find it quite expensive to use it everytime you clean out.
the worst thing about these so needed products is that they are so expensive.

I got a huge tub of it online for about £7 and I still have half of it.  I used it in Belle's whelping box too as it's safe. You don't need much of it.