Pullets will not use dust bath

[fairfieldvtchix]

So I have a large dust bath set up for my 26 weekers, and they have had it for a couple months.
It is half wood ash, a quarter sand and a quarter peat moss.
Everytime they bathe, it's in the deep litter. I pick them up, put them in the pan, and they jump out.
Any ideas/advice? The bath is probably 2.5-3" deep with material. I'm not yet using DE, but may start.
Thanks!!

 

[TheEggCollecter]

If there is one thing I have learned from chickens and dust bathing it is shape. The chickens will only dust bathe in a cool and comfortable spot. Something that is cheap and really works is a old tire. I have a tire under a shady tree filled with pea, ashes, and DE. They seem to like it!

 

[fairfieldvtchix]

I will try that once the snow goes away! I bought some DE today, in case the shavings don't do enough. Thanks!

 

[TheEggCollecter]

Your welcome, I meant to say peat not pea. Lol

 

[Messipaw]

I have no luck either with creating DBs for my hens. I tried every mixture in every type of container and bin. I find deep crater holes in their run and take advantage of it by throwing in wood ash DE and sand. They go where they want to.

 

[azygous]

When I first got chickens I wanted to provide them with all the amenities to make them happy and content. So I decided to build them a dirt bath. I picked a shady spot under a big pine, dug it out several inches deep, and filled it with sifted dirt, sand, wood ash, and some peat moss. The chickens ignored it. They never, ever used it.

They preferred my flower beds. They preferred holes in the pine needles they dug themselves. Watching them, I saw that they always chose spots that were warm and sunny with loose soil.

So I got some old railroad ties, made a four foot square basin and filled it with peat moss, sand, sifted dirt and wood ash, and it was in a nice sunny spot. They have all been using it for years. Since they also had a squash bed that they loved to tear up and dirt bathe in, I converted that into a dirt bath, too. They use it every single day. During the winter, I am diligent about clearing off the snow so it'll dry out quickly, and I know they love me for it. In the summer, I wet it down so they have a damp place to cool off.

If you watch where your chickens build dirt bath holes, you'll learn what they like.

When I get baby chicks, I always provide them with a dish of sand or peat moss to dirt bathe in. A lot of people don't realize three-day old chicks love to dirt bathe, too!

 

[TheEggCollecter]

When I first got chickens I wanted to provide them with all the amenities to make them happy and content. So I decided to build them a dirt bath. I picked a shady spot under a big pine, dug it out several inches deep, and filled it with sifted dirt, sand, wood ash, and some peat moss. The chickens ignored it. They never, ever used it.

They preferred my flower beds. They preferred holes in the pine needles they dug themselves. Watching them, I saw that they always chose spots that were warm and sunny with loose soil.

So I got some old railroad ties, made a four foot square basin and filled it with peat moss, sand, sifted dirt and wood ash, and it was in a nice sunny spot. They have all been using it for years. Since they also had a squash bed that they loved to tear up and dirt bathe in, I converted that into a dirt bath, too. They use it every single day. During the winter, I am diligent about clearing off the snow so it'll dry out quickly, and I know they love me for it. In the summer, I wet it down so they have a damp place to cool off.

If you watch where your chickens build dirt bath holes, you'll learn what they like.

When I get baby chicks, I always provide them with a dish of sand or peat moss to dirt bathe in. A lot of people don't realize three-day old chicks love to dirt bathe, too!

I had my dust bath in the sun and my hens never used it so I moved under a tree and the have used it ever since. I guess it all depends on the bird.

 

[fairfieldvtchix]

Hmm they were bathing in the litter in the sunny parts yesterday, so I moved the bath outside into the sun. Still nothing.
I guess I will just be patient with them.

 

[gclark94560]

Mine are locked in a chicken tractor and the dirt is hard and damp. One poor Buff Orp keeps trying to do the dust bath thing, but it's like doing it on concrete!

 

[Sandstorm495]

I find there is no point setting up a dust bath for my chickens. They will go where it suits them. However, if you do want to make one for then, then watch where their favorite resting place/dust bath area is and use that material to make your dust bath out of. Also, many chickens like scratching out a small 'hollow' before they have a dust bath, so you might want to slightly hollow out the middle of your own . As well as that, they also enjoy resting on damp earth, so as another tip I suggest you dampen/moisten the soil. Hope that helps!