Chicken dust bath

[rcormier1717]

hey there everyone. I’m new to raising chickens so forgive my ignorance. So I made my chickens a dust bath using some screened sandy loam and some wood ash I had left over from my wood stove from this previous winter. I’ve heard diatomaceous earth is recommended for the prevention of mites and ticks and whatnot. Is it really necessary? What do you all use for your dust baths?

 

[sylviethecochin]

Wood ash from the stove and acidic clay soil that's naturally found under the porch. Both are free! (Free is good.) If I notice mites, I add some Permethrin poultry dust. That specifically targets the nervous system of insects. It targets us too, but we break it down quickly.

I think DE is a little over-marketed, really. It's just silicon dust. It's supposed to get into the joints of carapaces and dry bugs out, but it's also pretty irritating to the respiratory system, from what I understand.

 

[aart]

Is it really necessary? What do you all use for your dust baths?

No, not necessary, and it's ineffective.

Mine dust bathe in the dirt in the run, especially the part under the coop where it stays dry all year around....I don't add anything.

 

[Taj_MaChicken]

No, not necessary, and it's ineffective.

Mine dust bathe in the dirt in the run, especially the part under the coop where it stays dry all year around....I don't add anything.

I made a dust bath for mine, and a few use it, but most of mine have a favorite spot in the run where we dumped some extra dirt when we were trenching the fence. I'm going to just dump the contents in the run, since I'm going to need the floor space for our newly acquired duckling.

 

[rcormier1717]

Thanks for the advice everyone.