Our diatomite fines are the ideal Diatomaceous Earth (DE) product for supplementing stock feed. Has been used for many years by the poultry industry. Diatomite fines have a long and successful history of use with cattle, sheep, goats, alpacas, as well as cats and dogs.
This diatomite is a coarse grade of Diatomaceous Earth and is more suitable as a mineral supplement than as an insecticide. For those looking to use this as an organic insecticide, it's suggested to use Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth, listed below, which is super fine and more effective against insects.
About Diatomite (DE) for Poultry:
Diatomaceous Earth is claimed to have numerous health benefits for your chickens. While some are not scientifically proven, many poultry keepers have experienced the following benefits:
- Clearing internal parasites such as worms.
- The strengthening of the chicken's cells occurs as they absorb the silica from the diatomaceous earth.
- Protecting chickens against fleas and flies.
- Drying up the moisture from their droppings.
- Getting rid of lice and mites.
- Strengthening the chicken's feathers gives them shine.
- Gives the eggs firmer shells.
What we know is that diatomaceous earth contains lots of great trace minerals when fed to chickens, so it’s beneficial in that regard.
Feed Rates:
According to the book "Going Green using Diatomaceous Earth How to Tips" (See Below), it suggests the following daily application rate: 2 to 5% of DE per weight of feed ration.
Other Uses for Diatomite Fines:
Fine diatomite can also be used as a filler, particularly where a lightweight inert filler is required. It is frequently added to paints, varnishes, lacquers, paper, insecticides, plastics, asphalt, fertilisers, welding rods, printing inks, sealing compounds, explosives and matches.
The finer diatomite grades are as good as or even more absorbent than Kleensorb. Fine diatomite absorbs more than 200% its weight in water.
The low thermal conductivity of diatomite makes it one of the best insulators over a wide range of temperatures. It is also used as a mild abrasive. As a powder, paste or suspension, it is employed in metal and car finish polishes, toothpastes, powders, soaps, scouring compounds and match heads.
Diatomite is used in the manufacture of alkaline earth silicates and is also important in the making of pigments, ceramic glazes and as a pozzolanic component in concrete.
An important use of diatomite is as a support or carrier for catalysts, as a promoter of reactions, in emulsion breaking, in settling out processes, and in foundry operations.
Diatomite is gaining increasing use in agriculture. For a long time, it has been used as an addition to ammonium nitrate fertilisers to prevent caking and ensure even spreading. It is important as a carrier for other agricultural products, particularly fertilisers. Our own manufactured product, Molodri, is an example of the effectiveness of diatomite in this capacity. The use of diatomite in combination with other biogenic materials is a key to its future applications, providing benefits for both plants and animals.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. What is the main difference between Diatomite Fines and Diatomaceous Earth, and is Diatomite Fines suitable as an insecticide?
A. Both are Diatomaceous Earth products, but the Diatomite Fines is coarser and not as fine as the regular DE, so the Diatomite Fines is less effective as an insecticide as it's too coarse relative to the regular superfine DE.
Q. What is the average particle size of this Diatomite Fines?
A. According to the manufacturer, the average particle size is 30 microns.
Q. Is this Diatomaceous Earth food grade?
A. This product is food-grade (but is not registered as food grade) and is made from the same Diatomaceous Earth material that Absorbacide is. Absorbacide is registered as food-grade, as it's more suited for food-grade uses, such as killing insects in grains, etc.