Dust Bathes

[Imp]

DE is perfectly fine to use in a dust bath. I use Stall-Dry, it is a mix of DE and Clay.
Wood ash is often recommended for dust baths, because it is supposed to have an anti-parasite effect. I don't know if it true, but it can't hurt. I don't burn a lot, but always save the ashes.
It has been suggested, in the past, to not use any kind of treated wood- wood ash. That the chemicals are not good for chickens.
I also have used some of the natural dirt from my yard. Damp earth is not a problem, The soil here is always damp, although I have never seen mine bath in mud.

Imp

eta- I hate waking up and finding typos from the night before.

 

[flockof4]

I agree with mike, construction sand works for both dust baths and grit. My girls also love dry potting soil for dust baths. Good luck.

 

[CluckyJay]

I use wood ashes. The wood was old fruit tree prunings and I think oak and poplar. I do a huge area with the ashes and then mix neem oil into it. I mix a few tablespoons of neem into a gallon of water and then dump it into the ashes. The amount varies. I did it to where it dried out so they could dust in it but it still had enough neem to keep parasites away.

 

[littlethorn]

Quote:
2nd the wood ashes. I add a little DE rather than Neem to mine, but I do the same thing where I prepared a little pit in the corner of their run for them to bathe in.

 

[simplynewt]

So wood ashes and DE in a cardboard flat or something simular, if I understand correctly. Great. I will have to add this to the run ASAP.

Thanks all for your comments.

 

[Tikkijane]

I put my sand in a kitty litter pan in the run....

 

[doggielove]

Where do you purchase construction sand? DE sounds very popular, but things I've read about it scare me a little.

 

[Imp]

Where do you purchase construction sand? DE sounds very popular, but things I've read about it scare me a little.

Go to any hardware store (Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace etc) and construction sand is usually the cheapest. about $3-$4 per 80 lb bag. Can go by other names too. It is used because it has a variety of size pieces in it, so the chickens can eat it for grit. The type of sand is not so important for dustbathing, it is just not necessary to buy decorative sand, unless you want to.

Imp

 

[Singlemaple]

In the winter time i set up a little kids play pool with a makeshift canopy and fill it halfway with peat moss... they love that,

in the summer they dust in the gardens from the year earlier we switch between two gardens so we will use one and the other one we set up a bonfire that our neighbors drop of branches or foliage the fell from winter and then we have a big party and burn the fire and within a week my girls will be dusting in the ash and turning that garden over for the next year..

it works great no root tilling for us...

 

[doggielove]

Go to any hardware store (Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace etc) and construction sand is usually the cheapest. about $3-$4 per 80 lb bag. Can go by other names too. It is used because it has a variety of size pieces in it, so the chickens can eat it for grit. The type of sand is not so important for dustbathing, it is just not necessary to buy decorative sand, unless you want to.

Imp

Great, thanks!