Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: 8doubles on October 28, 2009, 15:27
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Just wondering, after you`ve dusted the henhouse with diatom and laced the chooks food with diatom and the contents of both end up on the compost heap will the diatom wreak havoc with the healthy population of brandlings in the compost .
Has anyone here used diatom long term and wiped out the worms in the compost heap ?
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There is no scientific evidence to show that diatom has an effect on worms!
There are those that believe that it will have an effect on the internal parasitic worms of a chicken, but here is no scientific evidence to show that diatom has an effect.
Also the internal parasitic worms of a chicken are different to those found in the ground and in your compost heap.
Do not worry.
Diatom is basically fine chalk.
Do worry if you have not wormed your chickens recently.
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Mmm, i wonder if the boffins have tried sprinkling it on a compost heap. Being a cynic i always expect any cure to have a side effect somewhere down the line and reading the claims on the tub it sorts out lots of crawlies and nasties and thought it might do some damage to the good guys in the compost bin.
It would hurt to have to put the chicken dung in the dustbin and buy poultry poo pellets from the garden centre. :D
Ta Roughlee
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Do you know...I only had that thought the other day when I tipped the chooks dirt bath onto the flower bed again. I mix Diatom in with the earth.
I've also got it on the newspapers lining their poo trays and all that goes in the compost.
I read somewhere on here that Diatom is not efficient when wet? :unsure: :unsure:
It's basically teeny tiny spiky things that live in water, isn't it? When dry in a powder they irritate and scratch the shells of creepy crawly thingies causing dehydration.
That would mean worms are ok? And so are SLUGS! But it might affect beetles, wireworms, centipedes, woodlice, flies and such-like? :unsure: :unsure: :unsure:
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Viettaclark,
Yes that's exactly it. Some creatures have a hard covering which controls/prevents water loss. If damaged they dehydrate. Soft creatures such as worms constantly exchange water between their environment and their bodies and may use osmosis/salt concentration to control their internal environment. Diatoms won't hurt earthworms (or slugs - though it may deter them) and by the same token, I can't see how they could deal with internal parasites.