Dust Bathes

[wyomingsundancer]

I set up a simple dust bath inside the chicken tractor by cutting a plastic barrel about 16" off the ground and wide enough to allow easy entry. This keeps the dust dry and keeps the chickens from throwing it all out when dusting. I mix some wood ashes (1-part), potting mix (5-Part) (not dirt) and ditomaceous earth (1-Part). I attached it to the side with some rubber bungee cords. The lip I covered with a split heavy tube, which is easier on their feet.

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[wyomingsundancer]

I set up a simple dust bath inside the chicken tractor by cutting a plastic barrel about 16" off the ground and wide enough to allow easy entry. This keeps the dust dry and keeps the chickens from throwing it all out when dusting. I mix some wood ashes (1-part), potting mix (5-Part) (not dirt) and ditomaceous earth (1-Part). I attached it to the side with some rubber bungee cords. The lip I covered with a split heavy tube, which is easier on their feet.

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[PuffyChick]

I love that dust bucket. Good idea on keeping it contained.

How old do chicks need to be for their first dust bath bin?

 

[En Plein Air Farms]

I use good quality peat with fire ash added to it and some dictomous (spelling!) earth.
I tried sand, both kinds, and dirt from their outside dust spa, and cheap walmart peat and nada, they wouldn't touch any of it.

They are working hard to train me up...

 

[Den in Penn]

I love that dust bucket. Good idea on keeping it contained.

How old do chicks need to be for their first dust bath bin?

I put a tray in for my week olds. They are white rocks, but by the time they got done you couldn't tell what breed they were. Wish I had thought of taking a picture.

 

[En Plein Air Farms]

I love that dust bucket. Good idea on keeping it contained.

How old do chicks need to be for their first dust bath bin?

I have a little cochin bantam who was dust bathing at two weeks in the brooder. They are 11.5 weeks now and if she isn't busy chasing down food she is still dustbathing. The others not so much although the buff orpingtons are beginning to catch on.

 

[PuffyChick]

What sort of 'Mix" did you use for the chicks?

I worry about gravel chunks being too large being accidentally eaten. One of my girls will swallow anything in her mouth if she thinks you are comming to take it away from her.

 

[Winter Chicken]

Since it is cold outside and mostly damp on the ground, what can be used for a dust bath for the hens? I am sure a pan big enough for one of them to fit into but what would be a good product to put in the pan?

Thanks for the replies in advance.

we use a mix of diatomaceous earth and fire ashes. it kills bad bugs that eat blood​

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[OnceAroundTheBlock]

After reading this thread last night, it inspired me to do some serious chicken run work today.

First I went to Lowe's and bought some patio bricks to put the waterer on. I had been using a turned over plastic bin.....which looked pretty stupid.

I cleaned out the coop poop and added more pine shavings, cleaned and filled their water fount in the run, set up a new 5 gal. water bowl since we're supposed to get 97-100 degree weather starting the end of this week. Ugh.

Mixed up some DE and sand and poured it into their dug out dirt spa they had made themselves. I saw chicken feet scratching marks so they at least played in it.

Let them free range for a couple of hours again. All the spiders and grasshoppers around my front porch are gone now.

 

[n8ivetxn]

My chicks were dust bathing in the brooder (pine shavings!) at 2 weeks old.... it was fun watching them

Now, they have their own section of the coop and they just flat out wallow around in there, it's hilarious! Before I put them out there I cleaned the coop and dusted with poultry dust and put new shavings. I also have a big rubber pan filled with DE and some ash. A couple of the hens will use it and I think the babies are getting in it too....