Cold weather chicken bath ideas

[Tillie43]

My ladies do enjoy their dustbath. Michigan winter means frozen ground though. Any advice or ideas that a new chicken mom can use? My ladies are 8 months old. Do pullets need a dust bath in winter? Thanks

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You can make a dust bath above ground in something like a tote or a kiddie pool. I personally don't here in Wisconsin because my chickens will get them going in the deep litter I use in my goat area.

Mites and live can get out of control in winter due to decreased dust bathing, so it's important you provide something for both their physical and mental health.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

A tub of dirt inside the coop should do the trick
https://hencam.com/henblog/2016/02/coop-dust-bath/
https://hencam.com/henblog/2014/03/winter-dust-bath/

 

[Duckfarmer1]

Hmm guess it’s too late to get some good old fashioned dirt now in NW PA. We’ll do what I just read...do my ducks need this too?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Hmm guess it’s too late to get some good old fashioned dirt now in NW PA. We’ll do what I just read...do my ducks need this too?

Ducks don't dust bath, they take water baths.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Any sort of fully enclosed, lidded tub of dust bathing medium can work - as long as contents stay completely dry they'll remain loose enough to use. I use one of those Little Tikes sandboxes, it stayed dry inside after being buried under 2' of snow last year.

 

[aart]

My ladies do enjoy their dustbath. Michigan winter means frozen ground though. Any advice or ideas that a new chicken mom can use? My ladies are 8 months old. Do pullets need a dust bath in winter? Thanks

As long as they have an area that stays dry and has loose dirt it should stay thawed all winter. Otherwise a bin in the coop might be the ticket. I used to reserve some dry dust bathing dirt in a bucket during fall, but haven't needed to use it.