Do you provide a dust bath in the winter?

[eggxentric]

I live in the Santa Cruz mountains of Central California and we get a ton of rain each year. I've built a lovely coop and run (8 x 12 ft enclosure). It has sand in it, but I'm wondering if I should provide a dust bath area for them. At present, while the weather is good, I let them out to free range in their chicken yard...and they have access to lots of fresh dirt to 'bathe' in.
Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks!!

 

[Judy]

Don't they dust bathe in the sand?

People build dust baths out of all sorts of stuff. Usually there is some container like the bottom of a kitty litter box, then potting soil, wood ashes, all sorts of material. I just read about one person who buys a bale of peat moss (it doesn't freeze) and gives it to them in the fall, then puts the whole mess on the garden in the spring. Also just saw some pics of a hen dust bathing on a beach towel....

I don't, but mine are free to make their own, which they do, daily, all year. If they were in one of these secure runs that I see on here, I would provide some sort of dust bath. Maybe they can survive without it, but it's obviously quite a pleasure for them.

 

[crooked stripe]

When it snows around here mine stay in the coop. I have about 6-10" of wood chips on the floor. They dust bathe in that. They always seem to make do either inside or out. rj

 

[Ohhhdear]

There's a dry area by the foundation of my house underneath the deck where my girls cluster in nasty weather. I've noticed dust "hollows" where they settle in and take baths. Hopefully that dry sandy dirt won't freeze as winter progresses here. It's so close to the house that it may stay loose because of the protection from the foundation.