Friends, I recently recieved cousel from an organic farmer that diatomaceous earth was an excellent and highly effective, completely safe and natural dewormer for cows and goats. Has anyone had an experience using this for goats? How about humans? Does anyone have any dose suggestions and duration suggestions for use in goats and humans? Thanks So Much

-- Tiffani Cappello (cappello@alltel.net), January 04, 2001

Answers

Tiffani, just make sure it's food, and human food grade, diatomaceous earth. The DE works by cutting the worms bodies, the DE particles are very sharp, and they essentially dehydrate/bleed to death. So it only works where it can come in direct contact with the worms body, which means the digestive tract only will be wormed. Worms in goats and humans, and most all other critters, also reside in the lungs, liver, intestinal walls, and muscle tissue. It will have no effect on worm eggs, as they are encapsulated, and thus protected against the DE. Have fecal counts done on a regular basis, say twice a year, and be aware that there will still ba those other residing worms elsewhere in their bodies.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), January 04, 2001.

Texas A&M has already done studies that showed that DE does not work as a feed through as a wormer, on goats. In fact it showed no decrease what so ever in the amount of worms in the fecal.

I do see how this could possibly work in a single stomached animal like horses, dogs, and pigs. But in single stomached animals I think it is probably pooped out into the manure, and then it becomes effective in killing maggots and fly larve, and hatching worms. I know that it will work in layers of winter bedding, to keep the worm larve and fly larve under control.

There is a popular brand of goat feed that has DE in it, very ironically they also have a goat feed that is used with this DE feed every month, you guessed it, it contains a chemical dewormer, why if their DE feed is working do they need you to also be using a chemical wormer every month?

Logically here, if this stuff indeed scars up the worm larve to the point of dehydration, what does it do to all the beneficial bacteria in the rumen and digestive tract? If coccidiosis can destroy the lining of the intestine, than feeding these sharp exo-skeletons could that not also cause scar tissue build up, which then causes the animal not to be able to absorb nutrients? The very best thing you could do for your goats, isn't adding more stuff to your management. Run fecals (or better yet learn to do them yourself) then you don't have to take anyones word for what is working and what isn't. Next best thing is to read studies for your class of livestock. The only thing benefiting from the use of DE is the folks selling it! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), January 04, 2001.

Honestly, Tiffani, I'd take Vicki's advice, she KNOWS goats!!!

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), January 04, 2001.

Thanks for your response Vicki, I had pretty much thought that would be the case. Somehow it just didn't make sense to me to feed something to my goats that would possibly scrape the linings of their stomachs and intestines. I know the fecals are a pain to do, but it seems to me with the resistance to chemicals that is happening with these parasites, we all need to be more responsible in our treatment proticals and only treat what we actually have. (IMHO)

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), January 04, 2001.

I remember reading that DE is only effective when dry, so logically it would not work in the digestive tract, but only in bedding and when the manure dries out in the field. I've no doubt it works in bedding and in feed (before it's eaten) and it should also keep down any parasites that are passed out in the field.

-- glynnis in KY (gabbycab@msn.com), January 05, 2001.

Glynnis, I must learn how to write like that! Just a quick note and you summed up everything I was trying to say in my novel above! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), January 05, 2001.

If you've eaten any products with flour ~ like Bisquick ~ you've eaten Diatomaceous Earth. It's also in many other products we consume.

I feed FOOD grade DE to my dogs, pet Hampshire hog, steer, and donkey. Their fecals are clean. The dogs have not had fleas since they've been consuming DE. I mix it into the chicken feed. I sprinkle it in the chicken pens so there's no odor. The chickens have never had scaly leg or mites. The fly population goes way down; the flys can't breed in the manure.

Between DE and Guineas, the pest world doesn't have a chance! -G-

Here's the recommended amounts to feed:

Beef Cattle 1% of total weight of dry ration 5% in grain

Dairy Cattle 1% of total weight of dry ration

Calves 4 grams in morning milk per calf

Chickens 5% in feed, use at full strength in dusting boxes

Hogs 2% of total feed ration, dust or spray on bedding and animals

Horses 5 ounces (1 cup) in daily feed ration

Sheep 1% in ground grains 1 part Diatomaceous Earth to 2 parts T-M salt

Goats 1% in grain, 5% per bushel of feed: up to 50% in T-M salt

Dogs 1 T. per day in daily ration for dogs over 35 lbs., 1 tsp. per day in ration for small dogs and puppies, rub powder at full strength into the coat for fleas and sprinkle on bedding

Cats 1 tsp. per daily ration, rub at full strength into coat for fleas and sprinkle on bedding

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There is no withdrawal time for slaughter.

Parasites do not build up an immunity.

DE is approved by the FDA and EPA.

Sprinkled on fire ant hills, you'll have a pile of dead ants in no time!

DO NOT USE FILTER GRADE DE. It is ground different and heat treated to be used in swimming pools. It will not kill insects, but could kill your critters.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), January 10, 2001.