Not Dust Bathing

[newhenintown]

Ok I just had to manually dust bathe all 12 of my chickens. They aren't doing it on their own! They're run is all grass so I have a litter box in there filled with dusty sandlike dirt. I've noticed them out laying in the run but its not really dust bathing. I looked under their feathers earlier and saw mites so I said enough and put them in the dust bath myself. They didn't mind it but all they ever do is walk over the dirt in the box and then jump out. Any suggestion? There's 6 EEs that's 2 months old and 6 cochins that are 3 months old.

 

[amynrichie]

Maybe the dust box is not big enough for their liking? Maybe the dirt is not "dusty" enough for their liking?

 

[newhenintown]

Maybe the dust box is not big enough for their liking? Maybe the dirt is not "dusty" enough for their liking?

Its pretty big. 2 of my bigger cochins could fit in it comfortably and my small ones could probably fit almost all of them in it lol. And its really dusty, not sure if you can tell by all the dust on the side of the box.

 

[newhenintown]

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[Pork Pie]

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

 

[newhenintown]

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

Yes it is. That's why I bought some food grade DE today and gave them a good dusting, cleaned the coop and run and gave it a good dusting and replaced bedding too. I added it to their dust bath box along with some wood ash today. But its my understanding that them dust bathing can help prevent them from getting mites again or at least help manage it if they do get them again. That is the problem im concerned with because they aren't dust bathing. I can get rid of the mites and control them but it would be nice if my feather babys would help a bit and practice some good hygiene lol.

 

[rosemarythyme]

My guess is they don't like either the box, the "dust", or both. I tried giving my girls a bin of peat moss for dust baths and they refused to use it, like yours they just jumped in and out. Once I dumped it in the run, they were more than happy to use it.

Nowadays my girls usually bathe in my garden beds, so I plan on keeping one fallow at all times for them to use.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What type of "dirt" are you using?

How long have you had these chickens?

If the run is grass, that won't last long

, then they will most likely start digging holes on their own.

All of my run is dirt. It came from different sources from my property. I do turn the soil fairly regularly and they love to scratch, dig and dust bathe. I do add ash to areas of the run, but the biggest thing mine like is for me to rake the dirt into a large loose pile and just let them do their thing.

If you are seeing mites/lice then you may also want to treat them and the coop with some poultry dust to get the critters under control. Then hopefully the chickens will take care of it afterward by dust bathing.

 

[newhenintown]

What type of "dirt" are you using?

How long have you had these chickens?

If the run is grass, that won't last long , then they will most likely start digging holes on their own.

All of my run is dirt.  It came from different sources from my property.  I do turn the soil fairly regularly and they love to scratch, dig and dust bathe.  I do add ash to areas of the run, but the biggest thing mine like is for me to rake the dirt into a large loose pile and just let them do their thing. 

If you are seeing mites/lice then you may also want to treat them and the coop with some poultry dust to get the critters under control.  Then hopefully the chickens will take care of it afterward by dust bathing.

Its a very dusty dirt almost sand like. We have a lot of it here and my kids play in it like its sand. Its about all we have here right now because were in a extreme draught and haven't had rain in almost 70 days. Light sprinkling last night but not enough to count. The wood ash I have is from the fire pit and its all I have to work with cause we can't burn anything right now. Over 1,800 wildfires, i don't want to burn anything lol. I do have the poultry dust and have used it just trying to figure out why they may not be bathing. I've had all of them since they were hatchlings.

 

[newhenintown]

Well I just went out to feed the chickens and guess who was taking a dust bath? My chickens! I don't know if its because it sprinkled a little last night and it made the dirt a consistency that they like or if its just cause momma had to show them how to be chickens lol. Either way problem solved on dust bathing. Thanks everyone!