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#1 11/04/2009 4:04 pm
- fasbendera
- Overrun With Chickens
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What do you use for a winter dust bath in your coop
This is my fifth winter here in a northern climate. It gets well below freezing for 3-4 months with a few 32 degree or above days sprinkled in and the ground is solid as a rock. When it gets to the the freezing stage I leave the birds inside to prevent any comb frost bite. I have not put in anything for a dust bath and after reading a few posts I am thinking maybe I should they would love it. Is sand the best thing or should I leave well enough alone and let them dig in the pine shavings.
Barred Rocks, White Rock, Cochins, Yellow Japanes bantam, Australorp, Black bantam, Ameraucanas, Cornish X (pullet), Buff Orpington, RR Silver Laced Wyandottes, Gold Laced Wyandottes, Mille Fleur d'Uccles. Diversified and Lovely.
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#2 11/04/2009 6:34 pm
- crazyhen
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Re: What do you use for a winter dust bath in your coop
I put sand in mine. they really like that. Gloria Jean
1 hb,3stray cats, One spoiled rotten cat, 1brahma hen..3 buff orps. hens, 1 blue orp. hen, 1 barred rock hen, 2 comets and one mixed part mix and part blue orp.. . One splash roo, and 1 splash hen 7 EE's, new del and rock babies, love gardening,crochet and mtns.
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#3 11/04/2009 6:48 pm
- Dixiedoodle
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Re: What do you use for a winter dust bath in your coop
I have made a 'brew' of moss, sand, wood ash and a little DE.. mine love it.
2 RIR, 2 BO, 1 BR, 11 true Ameraucanas, 2 Black Copper Marans --looking to add a few SLW, GLW and Blue Copper Marans --Oh, the Chicken Math!!!
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#4 11/04/2009 6:52 pm
- Pampered Chicken
- Chillin' With My Peeps
- From: Randolph, VT
- Registered: 10/25/2009
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Re: What do you use for a winter dust bath in your coop
What do you put it in?
1 Silkie, 1 BR, 3 EE, 1 SLW, 1 Serama, 1 Barred Bantam Cochin, 1 Golden Comets, Lemon Blue Cochin roo, 2 splash cochin hens, 2 buff cochin hens, 2 mottled cochins,1 mutt handicapped roo, 6 Courtix Quail, 5 dogs, 2 cats, 3 rabbits, 8 nigerian dwarf goats, 2 Blue Swedish ducks, 1 Runner, 1 dark campbell and 3 kahki campbell
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#5 11/04/2009 7:45 pm
- emrys
- Out Of The Brooder
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Re: What do you use for a winter dust bath in your coop
I got a black pan thing at Lowes. I think it is designed for mixing cement. Roomy enough, deep enough and comes in two sizes.
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#6 11/04/2009 8:17 pm
- fasbendera
- Overrun With Chickens
- From: Midwest
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Re: What do you use for a winter dust bath in your coop
Dixiedoodle wrote:
I have made a 'brew' of moss, sand, wood ash and a little DE.. mine love it.
I am pretty positive I am going to do a dust box (wading pool) if I can find a small one. What ratios do you use?
Barred Rocks, White Rock, Cochins, Yellow Japanes bantam, Australorp, Black bantam, Ameraucanas, Cornish X (pullet), Buff Orpington, RR Silver Laced Wyandottes, Gold Laced Wyandottes, Mille Fleur d'Uccles. Diversified and Lovely.
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#7 11/05/2009 3:22 pm
- MimiChick
- Chillin' With My Peeps
- From: Glocester, RI
- Registered: 04/08/2009
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Re: What do you use for a winter dust bath in your coop
I use a kitty litter pan with a mix of sand, garden soil and wood ashes in about equal parts, then I sprinkle in some DE and poultry dust (permethrin based). The girls love it and it's I've seen 2 of them in there at the same time, so it's apparently big enough. Every so often I add in a little more sand or wood ash and sprinkle some more DE and poultry dust to keep any mites/lice at bay.
Next time build the coop before you get the chickens!
You can't tell the color of the chicken or the egg by looking at the yolk.
1 Ameraucana, 2 Black/Lavender Split Orpingtons, 1 RSL, 2 EE's and 2 RI Reds
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#8 11/05/2009 3:24 pm
- rufus
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Re: What do you use for a winter dust bath in your coop
Dead ashes from the wood stove or fire place. It will keep down the bugs.
Rufus
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#9 11/05/2009 3:28 pm
- ducks4you
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Re: What do you use for a winter dust bath in your coop
I like this idea, since my birds are coming into the barn in about a week. I have some older rubber feed buckets--think I'll use one of them since the bottoms get a little rough and the horses don't like the feel of them that way.
Matt 6:26. Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns and yet your heavenly father feeds them. And are you not worth much more than they?
I'm with YOU, eaganchickens - N O N A I S!!!
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#10 11/05/2009 7:25 pm
- Dixiedoodle
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Re: What do you use for a winter dust bath in your coop
I used a bag of the moss, bag of sand and shovel full of wood ash (from last years fireplace) and a handful of DE... Everyday, I see one of the girls that looks like "Pig-Pen" in Charlie Brown's Christmas! They walk out into the sunshine and shake and the dust just bellows up around them... I use a black pan that's for cement/mortar mix-from Lowes
2 RIR, 2 BO, 1 BR, 11 true Ameraucanas, 2 Black Copper Marans --looking to add a few SLW, GLW and Blue Copper Marans --Oh, the Chicken Math!!!
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