dust bathing in the winter

[MissChick@dee]

Funny ... I’m working on one right now. Got a thin sofa table. Six panels from a Tupperware type storage shed. A empty garden box. And some scrap vinyl flooring. I’ll need more vinyl but this is what I have so far. Going to nail the vinyl to the wooden garden box.
Was taking a break petting my leghorn and this thread came up. Weird.
They already love it. Hopefully it’ll give them a wind break from the frigid north winds and stay dry.

 

[NewFlockOnTheBlock]

Great ideas all! We have an old coffee table that's sitting outside right now, will see if we can set that up as a shelter for the winter dust bathing area.

And, yes, to answer aart's question, we're on the east side of the state... north central Washington to be exact About 50 miles due south of the Canadian border.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I have a deep litter in my main coop but it has a dirt floor 17 square feet diameter a geodesic dome .. the girls dig to the bottom of litter this where they have their dust baths..
When it gets to muddy and wet they just come inside

 

[moniquem]

Good topic and something I did not think of! This is my first year with chickens so.....I do have an old dresser that I made into a shelving unit. The drawers have been sitting in my basement waiting for me to think of something to do with them. I think I'll shovel some of the dirt they are dust bathing in now and fill one of those puppies up and place it in their run.

 

[pennyJo1960]

If you are able add some wood ash few tablespoons of DE I am not a fan of DE but will use it sparingly

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

I do have an old dresser that I made into a shelving unit. The drawers have been sitting in my basement

I had some old drawers from a now torn down tool-shed/workshop and they have become useful in the henhouse.

I used one of them to make the winter-duck-basin 'less' easy to turn over (aka dump the water all over the place )

Another got used to make the grit/calcium bowl more sturdy to spillage. (and catch the spillage)

Another got used as a peat-moss dust bath in the solo-room I use to keep the chickens in isolation when needed. (after treatments or when being picked-on by other hens)

Finally one of them became the nest/sleeping box for the ducks.

My spouse complained when I kept the drawers, he tried to put them in the firewood pile, but I managed to keep rescuing them until they got a new job.

I still have two or three of them hidden in the greenhouse, I will find them a job there. (hopefully before my spouse finds them!)