Favorite recipe for dust bath box?

[tallyho]

What do you use for dust baths? Mine generally just bath in the garden dirt (nice holes all over the place!). But I think I will provide a box with DE and ...what else should I include as a general preventative? What do they really like to roll around in?

thanks!

 

[gryeyes]

They LOVE potting soil. I'd add some sand and DE to it.

I saw a "dust-bathing" bin somebody made in their run area, which I thought was a grand idea. (Currently navigating the moon-scape front yard where all the dust bathing spas have been built by the girls...)

Of course, I dunno if they'd stop digging those holes just because a "perfect spot" was built for them.

 

[NateinFL]

Isn't DE bad for the birds to inhale? I was told that its crystal edges are horrible on the lungs if inhaled. I'm hesitant to let mine bathe in it. I do use it under their roost and in areas where they don't dust bathe. It was just a thought of mine.

 

[CMV]

A mix of DE, wood ash, sand and dry mulch in any proportions is the ideal mix for a dust bath I've found. They love it! I don't know what it is about adding the mulch, but my ladies can't resist it. They used to dig up my gardens (which are mulched) until I got wise and gave them their own mulched bath area. Just don't use cedar mulch which is bad for chickens.

 

[Iowa Roo Mom]

I mix DE, dirt, and sand...


But their favorite place to dustbathe is anywhere I don't want them to be

 

[emys]

equal parts sand and peat moss

 

[joebryant]

I use mostly potting soil and peat moss sprinkled with food-grade diatomaceous earth. Occasionally I sprinkle lots of Sevin powder over the top.

 

[Judy]

I would go very easy on the amount of DE, just a sprinkle, because it's such a respiratory irritant. And good luck on getting them to use it!

 

[tallyho]

What kind of sand do you use?