Dust Bath

[NomadMik]

How do I get my chickens interested in using their dust bath? It is a mixture of clean sand and wood ash.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Man, if you find out, let me know! Haha!

My girls had a nice dust bath once, and they made their own... right next to it! Now I just wait for them to choose a spot and fill it with ash and whatnot.

 

[aart]

Toss some treats in there.
Or dump it out on the ground.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink. You may have heard this before. This means you are dealing with living animals, they are going to do what they want to do.

Some things you can't micromanage or control. All you can do is give them the opportunity. You've made it available, that's all you can do. Now it is up to them, so just be patient. It may take days or they may never use it the way you want them to.

 

[NomadMik]

The first one I made was on the ground and they covered it up with wood chips. They usually like to dig in the wet woodchips because it is hot in Phoenix. I have misters that get a certain portion of the woodchips wet. I put the box with the sand bath in the dry area so it doesn’t get muddy. They have pecked at it but not stepped in.

 

[Backyard Hencam]

Or dump it out on the ground.

I think that this is the best advice. Can you put some in a place where you don't have wood chips? My girls just lay down in a place where there is "real" dirt, rather dusty unfortunately. I think that chickens would rather not use a "litter box" just as cats would rather not use one. It's that they have no choice!

 

[NomadMik]

I will try clearing an area in the corner for the dust bath.