UPDATE: *with pics* The Bathing Experiment - Dirt or Sand?

[chics n more]

Well I found out over the Labor Day weekend that chickens prefer freshly planted raised bed gardens for their bathing pleasure.....

the little hussies!
We got 2 sides of the barrier up and got distracted with other chores...grrrr so my hubby shot them with the water hose but since it was hot they didn't mind. Now my lettuce seed is thrown down the crack.

 

[MattMallory]

Just rigged this up today. I used peat moss with a little bit of dirt and mixed in a scoop of DE. The tire should allow it to drain well and as you can see they already love it.

 

[MyPaperMoon512]

Mine like to pull up the grass and make a nice hole in the hard and bathe away. Go figure. They didn't like the sand at all. I'm getting some peat moss this weekend.

 

[MyPaperMoon512]

My girls love a dirt bath mixture of peat moss, play sand and diatomaceous earth. We are still playing with ratios.

 

[akhadley]

Are they okay to just dust bathe themselves in plain old dirt from my yard? I don't really want to BUY sand or peat or something if they will be fine in the regular dirt. My chicks already try to dust bathe themselves in the yard dirt that is in their tractor, but it's kind of difficult to get to so I wanted to make a little section for them but wasn't sure if they needed something "special" I keep reading about "DE" but not sure what that is or if it's necessary ???

 

[JackE]

Are they okay to just dust bathe themselves in plain old dirt from my yard? I don't really want to BUY sand or peat or something if they will be fine in the regular dirt. My chicks already try to dust bathe themselves in the yard dirt that is in their tractor, but it's kind of difficult to get to so I wanted to make a little section for them but wasn't sure if they needed something "special" I keep reading about "DE" but not sure what that is or if it's necessary ???

Sure they can. That's what my birds do. I don't have any special dirtbath mixtures. They dig a little hole, and fling dirt to their heart's content.

 

[jtbass2756]

Just rigged this up today. I used peat moss with a little bit of dirt and mixed in a scoop of DE. The tire should allow it to drain well and as you can see they already love it.

I had a bag of peat moss, so I have just gone out and added about half a bag to the wood ashe and DE... I like your tire Idea. Mine is in one of those rubber water tubs for larger animals. The drainage isn't a big deal since it is under the coop, sheltered from the weather. We will see how things go. I took the rest of the bag and divided it between the two younger pens. Only 3 EE and then a younger 7 BCM which are here as a favor for my DD. Just put theirs on the ground since they are temporarily in two pens in the lawn.. I'm sure they are thinking it is a secret bomb! LOL

 

[mamachick82]

I am new to the chicken world! What does DE stand for?

 

[jasono]

Thanks, I currently have an area where my chickens’ bathe, I will try adding ash and peat moss to the sand I already have in place and see what happens.

 

[farmgirl7]

DE stands for diatomaceous earth. It's supposed to be good for mites, etc. My birds just scratch a hole in the run (regular ground) and take turns wallowing in it. Each one will scratch it some. It gives them something to do. I understand the post from Texas, since southern Oklahoma is just as hot in the summer. I have a tarp over 1/4 of the run with the food and water there. That's where they dug the hole.