Snow in August?

Could it be snow in August? In the coop? No, it is actually food-grade diatamaceous earth (DE)-- little broken up glass-like diatoms (from the ocean) pulverized into a powder the consistency of flour. This is the treatment I am using to prevent mites. Earlier this summer, Minerva became infested with mites. Her tummy was raw and featherless, but the other hens seemed fine. I used an insecticide to spray all the hens, the coop, and places in the yard where the hens like to dust bathe or nap. I also used the DE as a second round of defense. In fact, I learned that I can just periodically spread it around the coop and yard to help prevent future infestations and to help limit the amount of flies around. Some people sprinkle it into the food, making the chicken poop poisonous for the flies (the structure of the DE disrupts the life cycle of the flies). DE is relatively safe, however because of the fine particle size, it is an inhalation hazard, so I wear a mask when I work with it.

I even treated the nesting boxes.











This is one of the hens' favorite dust bath spots.