dust bath thoughts and ingredients for organic chickens

[Gilliannas1973]

I'd like to create a dust bath tub for my run and have been looking at various ingredients. We would like to keep it organic. What do people use? And are dust bath tubs totally necessary for the city chicken? My 5 chickens do free range in my yard about half a day so far, during warm weather, but unsure how much they will be out in the winter. I live in Minnesota and so they get into the dirt and mulch in my garden. We were thinking of using sand in the run.

 

[black_cat]

I'd like to create a dust bath tub for my run and have been looking at various ingredients. We would like to keep it organic. What do people use? And are dust bath tubs totally necessary for the city chicken? My 5 chickens do free range in my yard about half a day so far, during warm weather, but unsure how much they will be out in the winter. I live in Minnesota and so they get into the dirt and mulch in my garden. We were thinking of using sand in the run.

My chickens love a a patch of dry dirt I have for dustbathing. My run stays pretty dry as well, and they often do it in there. Dry dirt and sand have been a good dust bath mix for me to add to the run.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Dust bath tubs aren't necessary if they can use your yard/garden for dust baths, though that becomes difficult once things freeze over. So maybe just a tub for winter?

I use peat moss for my dust baths, you can buy organic peat moss if that's a concern for you. Or just dig up some of the soil they normally prefer to dust bathe in, put it in a tub for winter, and that should do just fine.

 

[Folly's place]

We have sandy soil, and the birds dust bathe where ever they desire, in the dirt, or in the mulch under the trees. In winter, they use the deep bedding in the coop, or next to the coop if it's not frozen there.
Mary

 

[mscallisto]

You can add whatever ingredients you want, but they choose what and where they will bathe. As far as organic, I would think any type of dirt or soil would be fine

 

[CatWhisperer]

I'd like to create a dust bath tub for my run and have been looking at various ingredients. We would like to keep it organic. What do people use? And are dust bath tubs totally necessary for the city chicken? My 5 chickens do free range in my yard about half a day so far, during warm weather, but unsure how much they will be out in the winter. I live in Minnesota and so they get into the dirt and mulch in my garden. We were thinking of using sand in the run.

Sand will be cold in winter.

 

[aart]

We have sandy soil, and the birds dust bathe where ever they desire, in the dirt, or in the mulch under the trees. In winter,

Same here...and part of the run is under the coop, where with one winter panel installed stays dry and thus unfrozen for dust bathing all year around.

Sand will be cold in winter.

They don't care....everything is cold up here in winter

 

[RobertaD1]

I would worry more about the sand come spring melt. Or maybe sand just isnt good for my climate... it's too wet. (Well, except this year.... we are really dry, everything's a dust bath here!)
Maybe consider wood chips for your run.