what can i buy or use for dust bath in winter?

I used a plastic fifty five gallon barrel with top cup out of it and turned on side, fill with sand, DE dirt and wood ashes , block in place and they used it all winter just add more sand and ashes as needed.

I have a 9x16 covered run that they use during the winter and mornings. I filled it in with ladscaping sand(the cheapest) It hits freezing temps here and they still dig nests and loll around in them in the afternoon sun. They love it.

Mine are doing a great job "fox hole" digging in the deep litter in the coop. However, I do fill a LARGE kitty litter pan with construction grade sand (it has tiny pebbles of various sizes and itty-bitty granite shards in with the sand) and keep it in the coop for their dusting activities. Occasionally I'll add some sand and a handful of DE. Not everybody uses it, but they haven't had weather nasty enough to keep them in the coop, yet.

Oh, and my flock ranges freely over the property, so they don't need grit made available to them, but I used the same sand for chicks I brooded, as grit when they were given treats, and to play in.

Mine just use the deep litter in the coop now that the ground is frozen with a little 7 dust sprinkled in for those little creatures that haven't been frozen to death yet due to the coldness.

These are old pictures but I bought the under the bed storage boxes and put sand in them. It helped to keep the birds from tearing up the grass.

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I use the general use sand at HD, it's pretty cheap and they use it. My property is clay and I wouldn't have a place for dust bathing otherwise. I add DE but don't have a source of ashes because wood burning isn't allowed in our city, although our neighbors burn a chimney so I may ask them for some.
I also use the concrete mixing tub.

I just put it in a bigger area and NOTHING. They are ticking me off! I want them to dust bathe for cleanliness, but they won't!

Would mixing wood ash in with play sand and DE work? Would the ash make them want to use it more?

My chickens loved to eat the charcoal in the ashes, too. There must be minerals in there that they like. I would say that might entice them more...but chickens are individuals for sure. What pleases one chicken might not please another, LOL!

I purchased (but could probably have found) a pan for the bottom of a water heater...they make them in metal and rubber...for their dust bath "dish" inside their coop...they always have dry sand for their baths that way...they also pick through the sand/soil/DE mix for their much needed gravel. I started them at 3 weeks old with a place to bathe and they took to it within 3 minutes of seeing it.

ive got 4 blackrocks and 2 9wk old leghorns and want to construct a dust bath as the weather here in GB is cold i was wondering what is best to use , ive read on here all the stuff that you use but could someone please tell me what DE is thankyou maria

I know this is an old thread and I KNOW that it's July, but does anyone know if it is safe to use ash from a pellet stove as opposed to a wood stove? Not sure if there is anything other than wood in the pellets. Thanks!

I've been following various forums on dust baths for chickens as I don't have gardening areas for my hens. I decided to try the peat moss and de mix. I needed something I could cover up when left out in the open so I found the perfect sized container in Home Depot with a lid, large enough for two girls; I have three so they'd have to take turns. I needed something that would also fit into their coop during our less than favorable long winter season of rain, rain and yes even more rain in the spring. I wasn't sure how we'll they'd receive the container so this was a gamble. Initially they weren't impressed with it at all but soon after the temperature began to warm and the peat moss itself heated up a bit, they were all in! They took to it with such excitement they were actually purring! Well the sound they make which I've equated to being happy and soothed...they were purring. So this experiment was a huger success! They love love love the peat moss and as mentioned before I tossed in a bit of de and that's it! On bad weather days I take the container inside the coop so they can continue to enjoy their dust baths!