A question from a neophyte

[supercoop chick]

Hi,
I'm new to this chicken wrangling. I am wondering what the recommendations are for putting in the chickens dust bath? I have read lots of contradictory things so I am coming to those with experience! What do you find works or doesn't work. What is safe, not safe? I really appreciate all the help I can get. I don't want to do the wrong thing and hurt my chickies!

 

[TalkALittle]

I think you can't go wrong with a mix of sand, peat moss, and wood ash.

 

[supercoop chick]

How about DE? I have heard many conflicting things. I would like to prevent mites etc. but don't want to cause harm. What do you think?

 

[Folly's place]

Mine make their own dust baths in the yard; just dirt, and sometimes I might add some wood ash. DE is bad to inhale; I don't every use it here. It has some value in a dry dust bathing site to keep mite numbers down, but it's not worth it for me to inhale it, and I don't think it's good for my birds respiratory systems either. Mary

 

[aart]

Mine make their own dust baths in the yard; just dirt, and sometimes I might add some wood ash. DE is bad to inhale; I don't every use it here. It has some value in a dry dust bathing site to keep mite numbers down, but it's not worth it for me to inhale it, and I don't think it's good for my birds respiratory systems either. Mary

Ditto Dat^^^^

I only use DE where it won't be stirred up, like under the straw in the nest boxes and in the feed and storage can if I see grain mites.

 

[donrae]

I'm with Mary, I don't do anything special. In dry weather they make their own spots in the run, in wet they use the deep littler in the coop, I call it spa time....





I do dump ashes from our wood stove in the coop. Not sure if that helps a ton or not.

 

[TalkALittle]

My girls picked their own spot too. It just happened to be where I had added some peat moss to an area of relatively sandy soil and the sweepings from the patio fire pit got dumped. They prefer it over anywhere else in the yard so there's gotta be something good about those ingredients.

 

[supercoop chick]

Good to know! Thank you for your expertise and experience!