dust bath materials

[scarter]

Mine make a new bowl on their own in the woods or barn when every they feel like it. It never really occured to me to make them one. I do sprinkle DE in their current dusting bath spot.

How about pellet stove ash? I can put that out in their spots too? What is the advantage. I'm afraid of black chickens from that soot.

 

[ams3651]

I have sand out but my chickens prefer the large pile of stone cinders that cover my well box. Its the funniest thing to see all of them on there and apparently theres a favorite spot and 2 or 3 of them crowd in that depression till one gets kicked out.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

We add wood ashes from the fireplace and charcoal ashes from the grill - we weren't real crazy about the charcoal at first as who know's what they put in it. lol. But figured it gets hot enough that it should burn anything out.

Steve in NC

 

[Opa]

My chickens have a 16x16 run and I have covered the entire area with sand. I then add a little Seven and DE in the dust baths that they have created. Works great.

 

[desertgirl]

Quote:
This is what I was thinking--Thanks!!!!

 

[desertgirl]

ooops-just realized I can't use sevin dust and go organic. Oh well. Hopefully the DE does the trick!

 

[Jenski]

DE works great. I use it in my runs.

Now out in the main yard, my Border Collie kindly provides LOTS of dust bathing holes for the girls - -

 

[wxdude99]

I built a sand box with a 2x10. It's 3 feet by 3 feet. I filled it with about 1/3 play sand and 2/3s peat moss and some ashes from the fire place. They now use the box exclusively and haven't dusted in their other spots around the yard in weeks. Also, the peat moss/sand mix dries out quickly after it rains so they're back in business pretty quickly.

 

[chicky gal1]

great ideas here! is sevin and DE the same thing?

 

[Beed]

Sevin dust is insecticide made w/ Carbaryl and DE is Diatomacous Earth which I believe is fossilized prehistoric animal matter. I built a sand box too. I put sand only but now I know to use ashes.