Help-- !! Urgent!!! Diatomaceous Earth Dust issues....

[Momma_Cluck]

Got our bag O" Diatomaceous Earth--
Had trouble finding it since around Here they call it Fossil-Shell flour...easier to spell, AND say! LOL!

Anyway--- the 1st thing the Lady says to me is "Make darned sure you don't breath-in the dust when you use it-- it can cause lung troubles!"

??????????????!!!!!!!!!! What???

When we spread it, AND when the chickens scratch, roll etc-- the dust flies EVERYWHERE-- and my Daughter sleeps in the same room!

Didn't realize the extent of the dust problem until this morning--
we washed all the surfaces in her room before bed last night to remove the dust-- and by this morning, the dust is thick enough to write your name in it with your finger!

Is this as hazardous as the woman said?
Is this harming my kid???
What about the birds breathing it????


Anyone heard anything about this????

HELP!! Worried Momma!!!

 

[speckledhen]

Your birds are in your daughter's bedroom? If they are chicks in a brooder, you dont need DE yet. Yes, the dust is bad so you certainly dont want it in the house. Food Grade DE is not harmful, but you sure dont want a snoot-ful of anything dusty like that, including regular chicken dander and shavings dust.

 

[ZooMummzy]

I had a friend tell me the same thing but I'm pretty sure (I'm still researching it myself) the food grade is completely harmless, dust and all. Maybe someone else has exact information. I really can't see how it would be dangerous when it is meant to be used in stalls, etc., plus it's for consumption. That would be like flour dust being harmful, in my opinion.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
Really? I have been reading and reading for the past two days and haven't read anything about the dust. Do you have a link to something about the dust? I don't have mine in the house but I do use it and I am taking it myself for the health benefits.

Lol posted this before I saw the added part about chicken dander....boy I'm a goner! My entire office has been filled with chicken dander for months now

 

[d.k]

* Sounds like you are using way too much for one thing. I used it under 29-- 3 foot rabbit pens and only used a tuna can full in a sifter every 2 weeks.

 

[TundraChick]

Make sure it says food grade on the bag. You won't need to use it till the birds are moved outside. That said even pine shavings create alot of dust, I would suggest moving the brooder out of your daughters bedroom.

 

[spatcher]

If you have asthma, emphasema or the like stay away from the dust. PermaGuard suggests you wear a paper mask otherwise. Treat it as you would baking flour - dont snort it!!! It is relatively safe and I imagine someone tried to sue so thus the warning. PermaGuard says it is comparable to breathing in road dust and you wouldnt want to do that either! If it is not food grade though, thats another matter. Non food grade can and will destroy your lungs if you breathe it! Hope this helps.

 

[DuckLady]

You would have thick dust just from the chicks. I wouldn't add DE until they go outside.

 

[SoccerMomof7]

When mine were chicks I didn't even use DE and the dust was horrible the whole 5 days I lasted with them in my house. They were so cute but the mess took me forever to clean up. Everytime I would dust and vaccume more shaving and dust and shavings would end up on my navy colored carpet.

 

[SusanJoM]

Heres's some more Permaguard DE information

http://www.perma-guard.com/