Help with dust bath

[Ms Biddy]

I mix seedling soil made with peat, wood ash, a little DE, some Sweet PDZ. They ignored their tire dust bath at first. Now they like it okay, but they prefer to make their own.

 

[RodNTN]

My chickens prefer to "work on" their own dust baths when they free range. We have 23 acres, and 6 or 7 of their dust bathing areas scattered across the property

 

[Birdsong 82]

Still trying to figure out how to post in the AZ thread, but anyway....... My girls don't like the stuff I have tried for the dust bath. They seem to like really fine dirt, but I can't find that anywhere. What mix do you use that your girls like??

Do you have any laces along your property to find sandy soil? Get a little from several areas helps if you don’t have a lot of land or find finest dirt you can through the yard and mix it with an additive like sand or peat to loosen it

 

[pennyJo1960]

Mine dig their holes outside or in the coop if it is raining not unusual to walk in to 4 or 5 birds flapping like a seizure just dust bathing

 

[Birdsong 82]

Mine dig their holes outside or in the coop if it is raining not unusual to walk in to 4 or 5 birds flapping like a seizure just dust bathing

Awesome Had a picture in my head of mine doing that after I read that That’s too funny

 

[rosemarythyme]

I use peat moss, but they also dig their own holes or if the run material is broken down enough, they'll use that as well. I already have tiny pot holes forming from my little 2.5 week old chicks trying to dust bathe in the dirt... they're not doing a very good job of it yet but it's fun seeing how strong the instinct is.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

I have a baby pool in the run filled with top soil made from my horses. It is buttery soft. My girls love it! They also have dug their own spots in the run and sand that I provide for them as well. I love watching them kick and roll in the dirt!

 

[PollyGirl21]

Mine dig their own dust baths, usually in drier, dustier areas.

 

[Cacique500]

Garden soil (from Home Depot), wood ash, sand. They use it pretty much every day then love to walk over to the patio to shake it all off. Inside the coop they'll use the pdz. Sometimes they'll just dig a hole in the clay soil and use that. I try to give mine options

 

[Nardo]

Pretty much what everyone has said; I do have a monster tire filled with sand that they use, but right beside it is where I dump wood ash and they switch back and forth. I also have an in ground burn pit/fire pit made with cinder blocks and in the summer they get in there and strew ash clouds for several square feet.