dust bath for chicken pen

[Kuntry Klucker]

Hi All,

I want to make a dust bath for my chickens.
I need some suggestions of what I should put in the bath for them.

I was thinking DE and some garden dust. Is that okay or is there
something better I should include?

Thanks

 

[darkmatter]

I use an old tractor tire filled with sand from the creek and wood ashes. (I heat with wood) The tire elevated it a bit and helps keeping the dust bath dry and the sun warms it up.

 

[cherylcohen]

a mixture of soil, sand, soot from the fireplace, DE and they will love it

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Mine choose plain ole dirt. All it needs is to be dry, I wouldn't spend a ton of money on dirt, they'd prob ignore the expensive stuff and go somewhere else. I do add some ashes from the woodstove (along one side so its free choice if they want to mix it in) and this summer I added sevin dust as soon as I saw fleas on the new puppies we got - whew! No fleas on chickens please.

 

[Aria]

We raised Call Ducks and had black plastic tubs from Tractor Supply. Earth was dug out and tup placed down (filled with water for our ducks)

Now we use children's play sand and DE. Works fine. We have the sunken tubs in the Chicken Run covred with a heavy tarp. Aria

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

Thanks for the ideas. I do not have wood ash although I can see why they would love that.

What I have on hand is sand and DE. Would that work? Should I add some garden dust to it?

Thanks Again.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

It sounds like a perfect combo, since you already have it! I had dug up some 'special' sandy loam for a hen and chicks (they were in a pen) and they just shunned it and dug under a tree root instead! I gave them some dusty dirt from the frount drive and they dove in, go figure.

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

Achickenwrangler#1 :

It sounds like a perfect combo, since you already have it! I had dug up some 'special' sandy loam for a hen and chicks (they were in a pen) and they just shunned it and dug under a tree root instead! I gave them some dusty dirt from the frount drive and they dove in, go figure.

Okay, I will use that combo then. The story about your hens is so cute. I hope that my chickens love it.
They need something to dust in, I just hope that they realize that it is a bath and not food.

 

[luvmy33chicks]

Quote:
thats what i use for my girls
dry sand and FOOD GRADE DE
please be sure to only use food grade
they love it
i use a tupperware i cur the front down on with a couple inch lip
i then placed it against their coop in the hole they had dug making their own
its under the tarped area so it stays dry

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

Quote:
thats what i use for my girls
dry sand and FOOD GRADE DE
please be sure to only use food grade
they love it
i use a tupperware i cur the front down on with a couple inch lip
i then placed it against their coop in the hole they had dug making their own
its under the tarped area so it stays dry

Thanks, that is what I think I am going to do. The DE that I have is food grade.
I hope that they like it and use it. I wanted to put something out there for them
to dust in.