dust bath question

[ausamerican33]

When my little chicklets (now 2.5 weeks) get moved to the coop - do I need to provide something for them to have a dust bath, or will they make their own in the grass and dirt? I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. They'll be in the coop and their run until they are (alot) bigger. And if I do need to provide a dust bath for them, what should I use? Thanks in advance!

 

[keljonma]

You can provide an area for dust batheing. If you don't they will create a space. It may be in your favorite flower garden, which will destroy the garden.

Our chicks were raised in a kid's small pool. So when they went to the hen house, so did the pool. We have wood chips, sand, dirt and DE in it. It is where the flock takes most of the dust baths. However, they do also have a favorite spot in my iris and lily garden......

 

[ausamerican33]

Thank you! I have a biggish tin bucket thingy - we used it to keep beer and sodas in at our wedding. It's about 2 feet in diameter, and 1 foot high. Do you think if I filled this with some play yard sand and DE (I read about DE, but haven't gone to find/buy it yet), that would work?

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
We added SAND thru out the run area . Need to add more tho because of excessive rains lately .

As for the grass , once you move your chickens into the RUN AREA , don't take them long to get rid of all the grass .... LOL

 

[kinnip]

They'll find a place to dustbathe, but if you want it to be as much fun for you as it is for them, get one of these:

 

[Gracie_Chickie]

I took a shovel and dug a little area and pulverized the soil really fine. Instant dust bath! It can bee seen from my kitchen window. I can watch them flopping around in it while I do the dishes! Who needs TV when you can watch chicken antics all day!!

 

[ausamerican33]

What great ideas!!! And the chickens in the turtle sandbox are too cute. My husband says he has some DE that he uses in the pool - would it be okay, or does it have to be a certain kind?

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
PLEASE DO NOT USE DE FOR POOLS . ONLY USE THE FOOD GRADE DE

 

[ausamerican33]

Thank you!! I didn't think it sounded right - I will tell my husband. Thank you!!

 

[HeadHen]

I noticed on a lot of posts people swear by wood ash from fireplaces.
Thanks for the baby pool idea! I brooded mine the same way and was wondering what I could do with the pool now.
Mine kept trying to take dust baths in the shavings at 1 week old. SO cute! The other chickens would look at them like they were crazy and then help peck all the shavings off that were stuck to them afterwards.