Question re: Chicken Behaviors

[nao57]

Greetings!

I was curious... about a chicken behavior and curious to ask you about it.

This morning I saw one of my chickens making and doing a dirt bath.

It hasn't done this before. But I'd read about others describing it. Part of what was interesting about it, is that it seemed to have made a circular depression in the dirt, to do the dirt bath. It was also a hen and not a rooster. (Not sure if roosters do this too, or only the hens?)

This made me want to ask others, how much they think this behavior is related to nesting? What do you think about this?

Thanks.

 

[sourland]

Not related to nesting - cockerels and roosters use the same depressions.

 

[so lucky]

They just like to have a dust bath to clean their feathers, rid themselves of mites and probably because it feels good. All chickens (I assume) need a place they can dust bathe. Many people put a container in the chicken yard filled with dirt or fine sand. If you do this, try to put it where it doesn't catch the rain. Otherwise you will have a mud bath.
My chickens usually find a place in my flower beds to "bathe".

 

[Mrs. K]

The first time I saw it, I thought they had died. They just love it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The dust bath depression was circular because chickens kind of scratch at the ground, roll a bit, get up and turn and scratch some more, roll some more, and by the time they're done it ends up making this big round shape on the ground.

When weather is hotter you may also see chickens digging down a bit to cooler dirt below and sitting in the depression they make.