Official BYC Poll: Where Do Your Chickens Dust Bathe?

Where Do Your Chickens Dust Bathe?

  • On the sand/dirt floor in coop or run

    Votes: 171 44.1%
  • In a large pot or bowl with sand in a dry spot

    Votes: 48 12.4%
  • They make their own dust bath wherever they like

    Votes: 284 73.2%
  • They always have access to a dry area to take a dust bath

    Votes: 106 27.3%
  • They don’t / can’t take dust baths

    Votes: 3 0.8%
  • They make me mad digging holes in my garden

    Votes: 72 18.6%
  • What's a dust bath?

    Votes: 5 1.3%
  • Other (please elaborate in a reply below)

    Votes: 36 9.3%

  • Total voters
    388
Pics

BYC Project Manager

Moderator
BYC Staff
Project Manager
Premium Feather Member
15 Years
Feb 22, 2009
1,724
11,841
711
Dust bathing is important for chickens because it keeps them clean. The dust removes excess oil from the chickens' skin and can even kill parasites. Dust bathing kills parasites by covering them in dust which suffocates them. You have to make sure your run has an area of dry loose dirt and sand that your chickens can dust bathe in and you also have to make sure that the area is protected from becoming a big muddy mess in the rain. To keep the dust bathing area from getting wet try to put a roof over it.

To provide a dust bathing area for your chickens you can pour some sand in the corner of your run, fill an old tire with sand, or let your chickens make their own dust bathing area and just help them to keep it dry. So in this week's poll, we would like to find out: Where Do Your Chickens Dust Bathe?

Feel free to choose multiple answers and please elaborate in the comment section if you choose "Other".

10 stunning & low-cost (2).png


Further Reading:
(Check out more exciting Official BYC Polls HERE!)
 
Last edited:
mine do dustbathe in the deep litter under the hen house, though honestly, they seem to do it there more to cool off than truly dustbathe. Actual dustbathing activity (rolling mostly over, wing flapping, etc) they tend to do in the fine dry sand under the back of my RV at the top of our hill, and in the recycled concrete base in front of my barn (there's a 4' overhang, so it stays quite dry). Additionally, they like a spot with red/black loamy dirt near the back of the barn and the water tank, also shaded most of the day.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom