dust bath! and pest prevention

[baysidechicks]

So yesterday I noticed my 4-week old chicks rolling around in their pine shavings bedding. I remembered reading about chickens dust bathing, so I read up on it and decided to give them a pan of dirt this morning. Wow. I now have happy dirty chickens. Will they shake this dirt out of their feathers? The white chicks are looking quite gray now So I was also reading (and becoming more horrified) by the kinds of external parasites they can get. Will dust bathing help them keep those away? I have dogs and cats who are all on preventive protection against fleas, ticks, and worms, so my home and yard are in good shape. These are my first chickens, so no contact with other older chickens. What can I do to prevent them getting lice, fleas, mites etc?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yes dust baths are how chickens would naturally deter external parasites. For specific issues like lice and mites, you should do regular examinations of the birds - pick up a few, part feathers all the way down to the skin in key regions, such as around the vent, under belly, and look for signs of infestations. Lots of articles online with photos of what to look for.