dust bath

[Drumstick63]

I was reading somewhere that you can use MULCH for a dust bath is that true ?
I also read that if you use sand then it needs to be construction sand....I don't even know where you get that. LOL
I have been using potting soil because where I live in Hawaii is mostly lava and not real smooth dirt.

Thanks for any input !

 

[Bryce Thomas]

Out here in arizona its just sandy soil. They dust bathe in wet dirt to the point its wet enough you can build sand castles, they dust bathe in dirt its as dry as bone and much more different kinds of dirt. It can be sand I think, like any kind of sand. I let them use the dirt that their coop floor is, well... dirt. If the sand you have is really dusty you can rinse it off a ton. If its like gravel just wash it off a lot, if its really tiny sand just put it in a bowl then fill it up to the brim with water then very slowly pour it out so no sand is lost, let it dry out then just give it to your chickens.

Hell I hear that the water that flows through Hawaii is so purified its perfectly safe to drink. Maybe even use volcano rocks that have been broken down as grit so when they drink it purifies in their crop lol.

 

[Drumstick63]

Out here in arizona its just sandy soil. They dust bathe in wet dirt to the point its wet enough you can build sand castles, they dust bathe in dirt its as dry as bone and much more different kinds of dirt. It can be sand I think, like any kind of sand. I let them use the dirt that their coop floor is, well... dirt. If the sand you have is really dusty you can rinse it off a ton. If its like gravel just wash it off a lot, if its really tiny sand just put it in a bowl then fill it up to the brim with water then very slowly pour it out so no sand is lost, let it dry out then just give it to your chickens.

Hell I hear that the water that flows through Hawaii is so purified its perfectly safe to drink. Maybe even use volcano rocks that have been broken down as grit so when they drink it purifies in their crop lol.

Well I know there is sand for use in a sand box but not sure if that is to fine.
No the water can't just be drank from the tap, I have a water catchment system with UV lite and filters because we have what is ratlung disease and it is from slugs and rats and nasty stuff

 

[AprilsZoo]

I have never seen ‘real smooth dirt’ anywhere…

Potting soil works I suppose… I wouldn’t worry about finding construction sand (which is just really coarse sand— think miniature gravel…) it’s a dust bath after all. If I had to purchase anything, I’d go with just normal playsand. Or go down to the beach and bring back a bucket or two… (but no black sand or Pelé will be unhappy )

Peat moss might also be an option, but many people object to purchasing peat moss for environmental reasons. A huge bag of that would last a really long time….

If you have dirt at all in your yard, see if it’s diggable (is that a word? lol) If your kids could dig it up and make mud pies out of it, then it’s probably just fine as a dust bath.

 

[Drumstick63]

I have never seen ‘real smooth dirt’ anywhere…

Potting soil works I suppose… I wouldn’t worry about finding construction sand (which is just really coarse sand— think miniature gravel…) it’s a dust bath after all. If I had to purchase anything, I’d go with just normal playsand. Or go down to the beach and bring back a bucket or two… (but no black sand or Pelé will be unhappy )

Peat moss might also be an option, but many people object to purchasing peat moss for environmental reasons. A huge bag of that would last a really long time….

If you have dirt at all in your yard, see if it’s diggable (is that a word? lol) If your kids could dig it up and make mud pies out of it, then it’s probably just fine as a dust bath.

I was hoping that playsand isn't bad for them to breath is why I asked about it.
Nooo no black sand, we don't need Pele to get to mad

I have no dirt, anything I plant has to be made above ground so to speak, like a raised garden bed but with giant lava rocks around it and soil in the middle with plants planted in it , hard to explain lol

 

[AprilsZoo]

I was hoping that playsand isn't bad for them to breath is why I asked about it.
Nooo no black sand, we don't need Pele to get to mad

I have no dirt, anything I plant has to be made above ground so to speak, like a raised garden bed but with giant lava rocks around it and soil in the middle with plants planted in it , hard to explain lol

I get it about the raised beds… here in So. Arizona our ground might just as well be volcanic rock. If you don’t have heavy machinery, you aren’t turning the soil over any deeper than a few inches… and that’s after lots of very slow, deep watering and using a mining pick!
I do know some parts of Hawaii have some dirt though… some have quite a lot in the fertile, green valleys further inland.
Anyway, most chicken keepers just use the dirt they have… and it’s frequently very dusty. Fortunately, Mother Nature is pretty smart and made chickens able to tolerate the dust…

Edited to add: Many, many people here (BYC) also use wood ash in their dust bath… just regular ash from their bbq, fire pit, wood stove, or fireplace. It is supposed to help keep down external parasites like mites and lice. It won’t treat an outbreak, but it may help keep the parasite load controlled so they aren’t a concern.
Idk about using only ash, but I know it can be mixed into whatever other media you choose to use.

 

[Drumstick63]

I get it about the raised beds… here in So. Arizona our ground might just as well be volcanic rock. If you don’t have heavy machinery, you aren’t turning the soil over any deeper than a few inches… and that’s after lots of very slow, deep watering and using a mining pick!
I do know some parts of Hawaii have some dirt though… some have quite a lot in the fertile, green valleys further inland.
Anyway, most chicken keepers just use the dirt they have… and it’s frequently very dusty. Fortunately, Mother Nature is pretty smart and made chickens able to tolerate the dust…

That sounds about like the ground here, I live about 4 miles from the Volcano National Park so
Yes there are definitely fertile green valleys with great soil, I live in the rain forest here so it's very green from the rain.
Well off to home depot tomorrow to check out the mulch, sand and whatever else I can figure out
Mahalo for you input !

 

[BDutch]

I use sand with loam in it I dig up near a small stream. Playground sand bought in the shop. A left over construction sand. The chickens prefer the first two. And like it dry / dusty.
I add a few spoons with diatomaceous earth against lice/mite/parasites to it. Preventive. So far it worked.

 

[Drumstick63]

I use sand with loam in it I dig up near a small stream. Playground sand bought in the shop. A left over construction sand. The chickens prefer the first two. And like it dry / dusty.
I add a few spoons with diatomaceous earth against lice/mite/parasites to it. Preventive. So far it worked.

Loam ? Never heard of that
So playground sand is good to use ?
Yes I have DM for the lice also

 

[BDutch]

Loam ? Never heard of that
So playground sand is good to use ?
Yes I have DM for the lice also

I think it’s clay or adobe. Playground sand is very good according to my chickens behaviour.
P.s. looked it up: