Dust Baths

[bthompson]

We are new to having chickens. I love this website. Its been so helpful. Ive read post about Dust baths. So we have our chickens in coop /run. Do we provide an area for dust bath? We noticed the other day they had scratched a small hole of dirt and a couple were laying in it. Are they wanting to dust bathe lol. A friend told me some ideas but I wld like to ask here as well. What do you use etc, where do you put it?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That's dust bathing behavior. You can use the hole they've already created. I use sand, wood ashes and agricultural lime. The idea is for them to get the dust down near the skin where it will suffocate mites and lice.

 

[bthompson]

Ok. Thank u!

 

[ChickenMammX4]

We have an old galvanized tub filled with a mixture of peat moss and wood ash in the run. The chickens love it! Whenever we refill it, they come running and jump right it.

 

[bthompson]

Thank u. Thats a good idea.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I use a plastic cement mixing tub for that.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I use a small raised garden bed. Goes straight on the ground and it's easy for them to get in and out of. I placed it in my birds favorite hang out spot in the run.

 

[Flock Master64]

I'm working on making a dust bathing area for my flock. I'm making a barrier out of rocks in there run. It's a half circle going from my fence to the corner of my coop. I plan on filling it with sand or peatmoss. What ever is cheaper.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

IMHO, I think peat moss is too coarse and wouldn't make good dust bathing material. It needs to be dust and that is just too bulky to get down deep in the chickens feathers to the skin.
Wood ashes, ag lime, sand and regular soil are perfect.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I use peat moss, the birds seem to like it as much as regular garden soil. Hoping to mix some wood ash into it in the future, once I get a fire pit built.