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#1 11/04/2009 4:04 pm

fasbendera
Overrun With Chickens
From: Midwest
Registered: 01/30/2009
Posts: 505

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.
EVERYBODY VOTE FOR ANNE!!!! http://www.exploremodeling.com/Contest/ … shing.aspx

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#2 11/04/2009 6:34 pm

crazyhen
Chicken Obsessed
From: Franklin ,NC.
Registered: 08/26/2008
Posts: 1007

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 pullet. love gardening,crochet and mtns.

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#3 11/04/2009 6:48 pm

Dixiedoodle
Chicken Obsessed
Registered: 04/14/2007
Posts: 1242

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.


3 RIR, 2 BO, 3 BR,  2 Ameraucanas, 2 EE hens and one very sweet BO roo...

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#4 11/04/2009 6:52 pm

Pampered Chicken
Out Of The Brooder
From: Randolph, VT
Registered: 10/25/2009
Posts: 81
View My BYC Page

Re: What do you use for a winter dust bath in your coop

What do you put it in?


7 Silkies, 2 Bard Rock, 2 Americana, 2 Silver Laced Wyandotte, 3 Golden Comets, 1 Silver Laced Polish 5 mixed breen chickens, 4 dogs, 2 cats, 1 parakeet, 2 rabbits, 2 nigerian dwarf goats

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#5 11/04/2009 7:45 pm

emrys
New Egg
Registered: 09/04/2009
Posts: 15

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
Registered: 01/30/2009
Posts: 505

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.
EVERYBODY VOTE FOR ANNE!!!! http://www.exploremodeling.com/Contest/ … shing.aspx

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#7 11/05/2009 3:22 pm

MimiChick
Out Of The Brooder
From: Glocester, RI
Registered: 04/08/2009
Posts: 77
View My BYC Page

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, 1 Barred Rock, 1 Cuckoo Marans

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#8 11/05/2009 3:24 pm

rufus
Chicken Obsessed
Registered: 05/17/2007
Posts: 1112

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
Overrun With Chickens
From: Central Illinois
Registered: 01/20/2009
Posts: 916

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
Chicken Obsessed
Registered: 04/14/2007
Posts: 1242

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


3 RIR, 2 BO, 3 BR,  2 Ameraucanas, 2 EE hens and one very sweet BO roo...

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