How necessary is a dust bath in winter?

[Tiny Farms and Brewing]

I have a lot of Silkies that free range and they love their dirt baths year round! It truly helps keep them healthy throughout the year I have found. In the winter here the ground may freeze just enough that it is a lot of work for them to scratch is loose. Also in the spring all fall it has the potential to be rainy. So I modified a moderately sized chicken tractor that is 85% enclosed and placed a plastic kiddie pool in it with DE, wood ash, and soil from the farm and mix it all together. I place it on top of a tarp so that if any flys out (which it does) I can just put it back in. If it is humid or in the winter I place a heat lamp in there just to keep it dry in there.

 

[Clairenh]

They certainly like it, and it is the perfect amount of space for our 3 ladies. It is a cement mixing trough with a combination of DE, wood ash and dirt from the yard.

 

[7acres]

Well water and food are necessary and everything else is optional. However my hens get so excited when I freshen up the dust bathtub with new dirt it's just a joy to watch.

View attachment 1605047

JT

What is the material you have on the floor of your run?

 

[aart]

DE is a silicon and gets in your lungs and forms microscopic cysts if you breath it

Affects the birds lungs too, probably more than yours.

I probably get more "bad stuff" in my lungs when my birds flap their wings.

Right, so why add DE to the risks?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

@UKchooks

Since you started this thread... thought I would share another with you which discusses food grade DE and some other dust bath things... in case you would like to review it...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...earth-studies-articles-please-safety.1272802/

 

[Bamabexchicks]

Affects the birds lungs too, probably more than yours.

Right, so why add DE to the risks?

Thats why I like this site so much; I learn every day from people that don't mind teaching rookies like me.
I will rethink my use of DE on my coop. Thanks for good advice.

 

[jthornton]

What is the material you have on the floor of your run?

I use pine chips now, when that photo was taken I used straw.

JT

 

[7acres]

Thanks