Dust bath help?

[Shizuka]

Bury your bin in their hole under the coop but DON'T put DE in it. Just put plain old dirt in it. I'd you're soul soil is heavy clay you can mix some sand and/or peat moss in the soil.

The DE I have is what the feed store recommended. Is it not good? I can get a mix of sand and topsoil for them if not. Or should it be mixed with something else? Thanks for the great idea of burying the bin!

 

[aart]

I'm a little nervous it'll make it easier for a predator to get in, so I'd like to discourage this

You'll need to protect the outside of the run from predator digging and the inside from chicken digging.

Good examples of anti-dig apron installation.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/wire-around-coop.1110498/#post-17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/excavation-by-birds-a-word-of-warning.1086535/

 

[Dakar2009]

I've seen people using old tires to contain the dirt. I have an old ATV tire that should be large enough for one chicken at a time...no idea how this works yet. Just an idea.

 

[Genene]

I used garden edging, formed it in a big circle & staked it to the groung with the stakes provided. I then put in a mixture of top soil. Peat moss, wood ash, sand & first Saturday lime. My girls love it.

 

[aart]

spots scratched out under the coop for the dozen of them, and even those are starting to have seep.

Control the ground drainage around the coop so it doesn't get wet under there.

 

[TimonHens]

My backyard is so very odd for light and angles and tree shade. They are in a 3 tree orchard. I may have to put a dog leg in my fencing to get sun in the run.
(They are perfectly happy hopping over their pallet fence and invading the back patio in the meantime.)

 

[Alagirl]

I also let mine dig where they want, but recently sectioned off part of the run, cleared out the wood chips so there was just dirt and added some organic peat moss and they LOVE it and it has helped keep them from digging right next to the edge of the run

Organic peatmoss?
I mean, I doubt you used large amounts, but peat is not ecologically sound.
And having had a peat dust bath myself, I don't recommend it.

I simply filled the dig spot in the corner of the run up with sand. Occasionally I rake it back in the corner, so now it is mixed with the dirt in the run. I have not seen them use it, but judging by the results, they must like it enough.

@Shizuka
I'd drill a few holes in the bottom of the tub as well, just in case.

 

[Alagirl]

How deep is that tub? I just threw away several cat litter boxes before I moved...Wish I hadn't done that now.

the tub seems to be your average under-the-bed container. 6-8 inches, perhaps?

 

[jthornton]

This is the other bunch, they just have a tubby on the ground under the ramp.


JT

 

[3KillerBs]

It borders a fen, so there is only so much I can do beyond placement in the driest patch of the backyard(not in the front yard, not over the leach field, not in the bog, not in the foxy woods) after days and days of showers.
I have no problem buying and carting dirt, sand, peat (probably coir) or whatever if they will use it.

You can use coarse wood chips to build the level of ground up a bit to keep things drier.