Diatomite – The definitive solution to the problem of chicken mites in poultry houses
We are republishing the following article from the website of the Roviánitis Natural Farm (FAR).
A few words about the Roviánitis Natural Farm
FAR is a farm where food is produced using natural methods, without the use of pesticides or artificial fertilisers. The farm is situated in the Rovianitis area, in the wider Patras region, from which it takes its name. It covers an area of six stremmata, and Andreas and Peggy, who run it, live in harmony with the trees, birds, insects, reptiles and all animals and plants in general, thus enjoying the beauty and gifts of nature.
The article on afugrasu.com
FAR would like to publicly thank www.zeolife.gr and Mr Chrysovalantis Hatzigeorgiou for his substantial contribution to resolving the problem of the chicken louse, as well as other internal and external parasites, at our poultry farm.
The definitive solution to the problem of chicken mites is the spreading of the mineral material diatomite (or alternatively ‘diatomaceous earth’ and in English ‘DE’) throughout the premises. This measure completely eradicates all parasites in the poultry farm in a wholly natural way, and the material spread throughout the area is a natural mineral that is harmless to both birds and humans.
Thanks to Mr Hatzigeorgiou’s excellent communication and professionalism, we were able to find the solutions we were looking for together. Mr Hatzigeorgiou was kind enough to provide us with a 15-kilo pack of his Diatomite material.
For our part, we would like to provide samples to anyone in our area who is facing similar problems and is looking for a natural solution.
Finally, he also provided us with a pack of zeolite, which we found through practical experience to help increase egg size when added to feed, as well as to aid the composting process taking place within the. This produces a humus-rich product with high nutritional value for our orchards and other crops. Both materials are entirely natural minerals and are safe to add both to the poultry house environment and to the birds’ feed.
For details regarding dosages and application methods, as well as free samples, please contact us. To order these materials, as well as a wide range of everyday products based on the miraculous zeolite, visit www.zeolife.gr.
But why did we settle on this solution for pests?
Our compost bin is a key element of our production cycle. All organic waste from the kitchen and various crops, as well as tree leaves and dry grass, ends up in the chicken coop. All of this, together with the chickens’ droppings, the addition of water, and the relatively stable conditions provided by the centuries-old holm oak that houses the poultry house, result in the continuous production of compost. The compost, in turn, nourishes the various crops, thus completing a perfect cycle of photosynthesis and decomposition that feeds microorganisms, chickens and people, but, above all, builds up healthy, organic soil free from harmful chemicals.
So, whatever enters the poultry farm will eventually end up in our stomachs, as well as in the stomachs of the friends to whom we give eggs. For this reason, we have ruled out any pharmaceutical pesticides from the outset. For the same reason, the ‘antibiotics’ we use are garlic, onion, propolis tincture and oregano oil.
Finally, diatomite is a mineral that kills parasites mechanically, meaning they do not develop resistance. This is in contrast to pharmaceutical preparations, where the dose must be continually increased to counteract the parasites’ growing resistance to the active ingredient. One can easily find numerous testimonials online in English regarding the effectiveness of diatomaceous earth in this regard. (Google: DE for chicken mites)
Nevertheless, we too wanted to share our personal experience and our delight at having found a permanent, natural, locally produced and inexpensive solution, compared to pharmaceutical preparations. After all, all our efforts are aimed at dispelling the myths that food production is inextricably linked to pharmaceutical and other monopolies. And the knowledge we gain through our experimentation is like compost: ‘useless unless you spread it around’.
Read the full article via this link on afugrasu.com.
For more on diatomite, follow this link on our website.
To find out more about zeolite in livestock farming, follow this link on our website.