Not Dust Bathing

[aart]

I'd say the priority is to treat them for mites.

Ditto Dat^^^

DE will not kill a mite infestation......and you may (probably) also need to treat your coop.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1134783/permethrin-spray

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Quote:
I would say it may be the "consistency" of the dirt. Mine are picky as well (don't like sand).

You may be right, mine seem to prefer the soil slightly damp. Same here, no rain in WNC since August and wildfires raging. The smoke has been terrible. We also had just a light rain (more of a heavy dew) all of mine have been dust bathing like crazy. Even though they usually do this everyday, they started very early this morning

We burn wood for heat, so I usually have ash most of the year, a little goes a long way.

I'm glad your girls are bathing now. Happy Thanksgiving.

 

[newhenintown]

I would say it may be the "consistency" of the dirt.  Mine are picky as well (don't like sand).

You may be right, mine seem to prefer the soil slightly damp.  Same here, no rain in WNC since August and wildfires raging.  The smoke has been terrible.  We also had just a light rain (more of a heavy dew) all of mine have been dust bathing like crazy. Even though they usually do this everyday, they started very early this morning    We burn wood for heat, so I usually have ash most of the year, a little goes a long way.

I'm glad your girls are bathing now.  Happy Thanksgiving.

Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving to you too!

 

[UKApril]

Some of mine don't dust bath either and tend to look a bit scruffier than the others, so I'll try giving them a compulsory bath like you did and see if that helps. I think there might be some chicken politics going on, and perhaps the lower members of the flock are not 'allowed' to use the dust bath. Their main dust bath is in a small polythene greenhouse but there is also another one in their run which is never used, and they made their own dust baths in the earth during the summer when it was dry.
April

 

[newhenintown]

Some of mine don't dust bath either and tend to look a bit scruffier than the others, so I'll try giving them a compulsory bath like you did and see if that helps.  I think there might be some chicken politics going on, and perhaps the lower members of the flock are not 'allowed' to use the dust bath.  Their main dust bath is in a small polythene greenhouse but there is also another one in their run which is never used, and they made their own dust baths in the earth during the summer when it was dry.
April 

Thank you! Its nice to know that mine are not the only ones that don't practice proper hygiene lol.