Chicken wont stop dust bathing

[Carcar114]

Im fairly new to backyard chickens and i have a chicken that hasnt moved in a while and will kick dirt on her. I know it is normal for them to take dust baths. She isn't injured but i was worried because she has bean dust bathing for a while now. probably like an hour. Please let me know if this is normal.

 

[Buffbrahmasforever]

Is it hot where you are located? Chickens dust bath to cool down and so she may be trying to keep cool. She could also be trying to get rid of bugs that are bothering her. Or she might have just found a good dust bathing spot and wanted to have a nice relaxing dust bath.

 

[sourland]

You might want to check her for a mite infestation, but such behavior is quite normal - frequently in conjunction with sun bathing.

 

[Chicalina]

she may have mites. But they love to dust bathe anyway. An hour is nothing!!

 

[Chicalina]

I can just picture her hogging the best dust bath just so no other hens can have it too!

 

[Carcar114]

Is it hot where you are located? Chickens dust bath to cool down and so she may be trying to keep cool. She could also be trying to get rid of bugs that are bothering her. Or she might have just found a good dust bathing spot and wanted to have a nice relaxing dust bath.

she got up and looks good now. Ill check for bugs later. Thanks for the help

 

[Carcar114]

I can just picture her hogging the best dust bath just so no other hens can have it too!

She got up and now some other hens started to dust bath.

 

[Johanna Albertine]

I think it’s totally natural! My chicks seem to enjoy dustbathing as much as the goose enjoys water. They can definitely be at it for an hour. By the way, I sprinkle a little diatomaceous earth all over their coop bedding (whenever I change it) and also a bit in the chicken run – this is supposed to help prevent mites (also keeps ants away, and reduces smell.) You only need add a little bit at a time.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Some of mine are definitely bath hogs and will just lounge in there. An hour in a dust bath isn't too terribly long, she was probably enjoying herself.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

I can just picture her hogging the best dust bath just so no other hens can have it too!

It is very hot where I live and if one of mine find a prime spot they will hog a spot and get so far in it that they even turn upside down. Earlier in the week I could not see two of them on my security camera which I have turned to see the entire run. I had to actually put my shoes on and go down to the run to find them and they had dug a nice muddy spot down so deep that they could get down behind some shadiest rocks and turn over and then lay upside down in the hole up against them and go to sleep while the look out birds held vigil. No predators can get into their run really but we do have visiting squirrels and other birds that could pester them but not get to them. They are fully enclosed and then also inside our chain link fence which keeps our dogs inside it. We do have visiting dogs which pass by our yard outside it occasionally and we have had visiting free range chickens from down the road but they are very safe. Just silly birds.