We use food grade Diatomaceous Earth in the chicken's, dog's and cat's feed. I also use it in the dogs and cats ears and in the chicken's dust bath areas. No worms, no mites, no lice. It is perfectly safe and you can't use too much.

It is great also indoors for ants and other bugs. (You don't need the food grade for that, but it is perfectly safe even on kitchen counters).

Have you ever heard of using apple cider vinegar in their water?? I purchased some today and am willing to try it. Use 1 tablespoon per gallon of water...suppose to naturally keep them parasite free..

I strongly disagree with the use of this DE as a wormer. It is suggested all over the web, and even in some of the less sophisticated magazines. It is composed of microscopic particles of ground fossilized coral-like animals called diatoms. Under the microscope, they look like tiny sections of bamboo stalks. The premise is that the sharp fossilized exoskeletons scratch the intestinal parasites' bodies, causing them to ooze and "bleed" to death, or at least open them to becoming susceptible to attack by the hosts' natural defences. What few people who promote the use of DE seem to fail to consider, IMO, is what this abrasive action does to the digestive system of the host animal. Feeding occasionally with no apparent immediate adverse effect on the host is not proof enough for me that it does no long term harm, or that it actually does work to kill parasites. I'll bet that ground glass would have the same effect in theory on parasites, but who would feed it to their animals? Breathing in this dust is extremely hazardous to human and animal health, so claiming that it is "perfectly safe" is incorrect. Dust kicked into the air by the activities of birds when dusting is a perfect way to get it ingested into the lungs. Chinchilla breeders learned long ago that using it as a dust bath had an abrasive effect on the animals' pelts, and made them worthless.

Apple cider vinegar may or may not have an effect on parasites, or provide other benefits. It's often debated, but at worst it can do little harm to the aninmal when used in the amounts suggested.

People always seem to be looking for an easier, cheaper, nonmedical way to solve problems. Sometimes there just is not an alternative solution that has been proven to be both safe and effective. If there were, then most medical experts would be in agreement on it's use.

I would just like to find something natural to give my hens rather than the other stuff...Their egg layers and I would prefer to keep them as natural as possible,but also healthy and happy...I'll do more research on the vinegar though...I know some people that never vaccinate or deworm at all, other than the initial vaccine and deworming they get when purchased...if anyone else knows any info please join in with your thoughts.... :)