Filthy pullets

[burchy]

I have a dirt floor in my run with pine needles on top. ( a few inches of needles). The pullets scratch the pine away leaving the dirt exposed resulting in filthy chickies and I mean filthy. I thought about digging out some of the dirt and replacing it with sand but I’d really like to hear from the pros on resolving my issue. I have a tote in there with sand and diatomaceous earth hoping they would take their dust bath in it but all they seem to do peck in it for bugs.
burchy

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have a dirt floor in my run with pine needles on top. ( a few inches of needles).

Welcome to BYC!

Dirt is good! DE is ineffective in humid locations.

The hens have spoken!

Consider adding in dry leaves, grass clippings, and other different particle sized stuff to your pine needle floor.. it invites more beneficial bugs and bacteria to the party.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

You might find this article helpful: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-deep-bedding-in-a-small-coop.76343/

It always does seem to be the white birds who are the most determined dust bathers.

 

[Coops Dad]

Not our chickens but our turkeys- I have a few that will dirtbathe to the point that they'll double their weight with dirt, dust, pebbles, etc worked into their feathers. I didn't realize how much debris they can retain in their feathers until one fluffed her feathers shook herself out. I swear it looked like a shovelful came off of her.

I have a few hens that will wade belly-deep through storm puddles looking for worms and insects trying to escape the water. They invariably look like they lost a mud wrestling contest but it doesn't seem to bother them. It all comes off eventually and it doesn't stop them from laying so I'm ok with it.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

We’ll I have tons of oaks on my property and an endless supply of leaves but I’ve read oak it toxic to chickens. Any comment on that ?

A quick search leads me to believe that chickens will be fine with dry oak leaves in their environment including in the flooring/bedding..

http://www.chickendvm.com/poisonous... twigs,,the highest concentrations of tannins.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/25829725

https://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=68216.0

I do not believe that adding more pine needles will benefit anything.. more of the same size and shape stuff allows it to pack down and it's essentially a mono-culture environment where as diversity and biodiversity equals thriving. They won't likely be eating or ingesting them in any way on a regular basis but just searching through for bugs to eat. A small sample would not cause

I was way worried about toxic stuff when I first got chickens. I have it all foxglove, bracken ferns, buttercups, tansy ragwort, wild Iris, English ivy, etc.. and folks group tomatoes into the nightshade family. The word toxic can vary widely from a mild headache or stomach ache, to euphoria, all the way to death. While I would completely avoid DEADLY Nightshade and OLEANDER at all cost.. And I wouldn't lock the birds in with nothing else to eat.. I very likely would use the dry leaves.. noting if my birds were there they would be free ranging under the oaks anyways. And my piggies would love them acorns!

Please, always use YOUR best judgement and what feels right and makes sense to you!

My suggestions wont do anything to address your first concern if it's like really just too dingy still for their feathers.. but typically speaking my birds love the dirt around the yard.. My coop has washed river sand which is large particle and they never try to bathe in that.

 

[RoyalChick]

My chickens live on bedding of oak leaves on top of dirt (clay) floor. I think the leaves are fine.
What do you mean the chickens are filthy? Chickens bathe in dirt and then shake it out of their feathers.

 

[gtaus]

I thought about digging out some of the dirt and replacing it with sand but I’d really like to hear from the pros on resolving my issue.

I live on a lake, but I won't use sand in my setup. Sand gets messy and wet and required constant cleaning, for me, anyways. It always smelled bad if not removed and replaced. Lots of work.

Consider adding in dry leaves, grass clippings, and other different particle sized stuff to your pine needle floor.. it invites more beneficial bugs and bacteria to the party.

Yes, that it also what I would suggest. Add to that list wood chips if you can get them for free, or make your own with a chipper at home. Adding more inches of diverse material would be my first choice.

We’ll I have tons of oaks on my property and an endless supply of leaves but I’ve read oak it toxic to chickens. Any comment on that ?

I have never heard of oak leaves being toxic to chickens. I have oak leaves mixed in with all my grass clippings, wood chips, pine needles, etc... and have never found anything toxic to the chickens.

Should I add more pine needles or is a few inches enough

You can add more pine needles, but I would also encourage you to add more of the other materials as well. A diverse litter has many advantages over a single type of material for your chicken run.

What do you mean the chickens are filthy? Chickens bathe in dirt and then shake it out of their feathers.

Yep. Chickens will dust bathe, so you have to learn to live with that. I have a White Californian chicken that looks more grey after a good dust bathing.

My white Leghorns are getting black

It's only temporary. Don't get upset that the chickens are taking care of themselves. Unless you are taking them to a show, I would not be concerned about them looking 'filthy' after they dust bathe.

Also, I have found that when the pullets get older, they preen themselves clean better. Is it just my belief that pullets resemble human teenagers in that respect?

 

[burchy]

My chickens live on bedding of oak leaves on top of dirt (clay) floor. I think the leaves are fine.
What do you mean the chickens are filthy? Chickens bathe in dirt and then shake it out of their feathers.

My white Leghorns are getting black
Their 8 weeks old

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I won't use sand in my setup. Sand gets messy and wet and required constant cleaning, for me, anyways. It always smelled bad if not removed and replaced. Lots of work.

I live on the coast in the PNW where humidity never ends and rain is a guarantee.. I hated the sand, it never dried out on my droppings board. My covered run would stink to high heaven around the edges when the rain would start.

I added "semi" deep litter (cold composting) on top of said sand base inside my (biggest) coop and run (leaving the droppings board empty still allows for easy waste removal).. aiming to resemble the forest floor where I remove most seen solid waste. Actually more like what that link posted by 3killerBs is calling deep bedding.. I hadn't seen that distinction before! Sand is heavy and it is indeed a lot of work and also doesn't compost well. I don't recommend it as a coop/run base but think a little in a dust bath is fine if your birds enjoy it.

But if you look at bare dirt or sand (just for discussion, not what the OP actually has) you can see the wetness where something soaked in after you remove the solid waste. Peewew.

 

[burchy]

We’ll I have tons of oaks on my property and an endless supply of leaves but I’ve read oak it toxic to chickens. Any comment on that ?