i want to make a dirt bath box...

[watersoflethe]

i'm thinking of making a little dirt bath box for my chickens with a cat litter box. do i put dirt or sand in there? which one is better. and if i put sand where can i get the play sand? can i add DE to the mix as well?

 

[gryeyes]

I've kept two cat litter pans of construction sand for all my chickens for as long as I've had them. (Oh, wow, a whopping 8 months!) But I use the construction/all purpose sand instead of play sand. That way they also use it for grit purposes; there are lots of little bits of granite, very small pebbles, etc. in construction sand. And it's cheaper, too.

I do sprinkle DE into it now and then.

 

[BoerneChickens]

I put a mix of wood ash, food grade DE and sand - the girls love it

 

[watersoflethe]

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where do you get the all purpose sand?

 

[calista]

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I also use this "recipe" successfully, with the addition of some topsoil and peat moss.

 

[jaj121159]

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From the all purpose sand pile

Actually most building supply centers like Menards, Lowes, Home Teapot(sic) etc. carry it

 

[triggfamily5]

Do you drill holes in the bottom of the litter box for drainage, or do you just let it go? I have a litter box with construction sand for them, but I noticed that when it rains, it fills up with water...

 

[watersoflethe]

Quote:
From the all purpose sand pile

Actually most building supply centers like Menards, Lowes, Home Teapot(sic) etc. carry it

is it expensive?