Chicken dust bath

[sashepard12]

Is it safe to use i quickrete sand and topping mix safe for chicken dust bath?

 

[DobieLover]

Is it safe to use i quickrete sand and topping mix safe for chicken dust bath?

Buy a couple of bags of cheap top soil from Walmart and give them that. It works fine.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

Is there a reason that they can't just dig their own dust baths in the ground?

If so, don't use any kind of potting soil that has any sort of fertilizer, water beads, or any other additive. Plain dirt.

 

[3KillerBs]

OK, Home Depot told my daughter that Quickcrete was contractor sand. I will just throw it out and see if I can't find multipurpose sand. Thank you for your response.

Read the label carefully.

Quickcrete *may* have plain sand as part of their product line. They are a brand with many kinds of cement and cement-related products.

 

[aart]

Quickcrete *may* have plain sand as part of their product line.

They do. Several kinds of plain sand(with no cement added).

OK, Home Depot told my daughter that Quickcrete was contractor sand. I will just throw it out and see if I can't find multipurpose sand. Thank you for your response.

Post some pics of the package, showing all the labels.

 

[aart]

It might not be worth the time, but you could dump a big spoonful in a glass jar of water to see. If it has cement in it, some gray cloudy puffs will billow up.

Not a bad idea......but even plain sand might have floating dust in it.
But wetting some and letting it sit over night would tell the tale,
if you have experience with mixing concrete.

 

[rosemarythyme]

It has cement in it, like straight up Quickcrete cement mix? I can't imagine that's safe, if it gets wet it'll start to set.

 

[Ascholten]

Do NOT use quick crete. It's a concrete / cement mix that probably contains activated lime in it, which will burn them. Not to mention if it gets wet it's going to stick to them and cause issues.

Mix regular dirt with some sand works well. If your yard is clean, ie no insecticides fertilizers, you may even be able to just shovel up some of that dirt into a box and use that for them.

Aaron

Edit:
https://www.wired.com/2012/11/st-whatsinside-quikrete/

an interesting link

 

[sashepard12]

Welcome to BYC.

Is there a reason that they can't just dig their own dust baths in the ground?

If so, don't use any kind of potting soil that has any sort of fertilizer, water beads, or any other additive. Plain dirt.

Yes they are in a controlled coop. I just wanted to make sure about the sand. I have first Saturday lime, wood ash, a little pine shavings and a little yarded an dirt. Just need an answer about the sand

 

[3KillerBs]

Yes they are in a controlled coop. I just wanted to make sure about the sand. I have first Saturday lime, wood ash, a little pine shavings and a little yarded an dirt. Just need an answer about the sand

No access to an outdoor run?