Pullets won't dust bathe

[MiaHudy]

Hi All,

I have 2 Wyandotte girls, they are about 4 months old now, and I have 2 younger Brahma pullets (5-6 weeks old).

When the Wyandottes were chicks, they would dust bathe all the time in their brooder pen, but now I never see them even attempt to. I have clayish soil that is fairly hard packed so I put a large low sided tub in their run with sand in it. The scratch around in the sand but do not dust bathe.

I know dust bathing is important to keep the parasites off. Should I do anything else to encourage them to dust bathe? Maybe throw some dirt in with the sand?

Thanks!

 

[HEChicken]

Dirt would be better than sand. Wood ash is even better if you have a fireplace and can save up the ashes in the winter, to use year round. You can also throw some DE (Diatomaceous Earth) in with it, which will additionally help with parasites.

 

[MiaHudy]

Thanks! I will give the dirt a try, I don't have ashes right now as I already did my spring cleaning of the fireplace.

 

[CrazyPetunias]

I have found out the hard way that my girls like the cheap top soil - the kind you can get from homedepot for $1.40 that looks like dirt and sand mixed together.

I let them free range in the back yard when I can. There is a new planting bed I have been trying to get going...was hoping the girls would scratch it up before planting but they were not interested in it until......

I got 5 bags of cheap topsoil and planted some begonias. It looked pretty for a day. Since then they have pulled up most of the begonias and have turned half of the planter into a 3chick dust bath paradise.

Yes - 3 at a time will get in there and throw dirt around. They love it.

 

[aggiemae]

The hens like the cheap topsoil for dusting because it's not completely composted and gets nice and warm.