@CourtsCacklers
You won't believe this but yesterday was my birthday too!!! I did buy the DE and added an old bleached out and cleaned litter box filled with a mixture of sand DE and ash. It looks like they are using it but weirdly enough they are pecking at the mixture too. Do they "eat" DE? The strangest thing is that Shirley, the one that had the worst lice infestation last time just stands in the older dust bin and will puff herself up. No one could use it because she would stay there. That might be why Charlie has lice. My brahma, Dagney is definitely dust bathing in the new pan. YAY!!! Maybe she will show the others except she seems inclined not to get out too. Do I have to periodically change out the dirt mixture in the bins or can I just add to them?
As to your panels for your run. That's a great idea. I put an old water heater door off a mobile home up against the run so they can be shielded from the wind on that side then I used left over clear roofing panel and clear vinyl I sewed together to shield off the entire "people" door and again the lower half of the run. They come out everyday. Of course, if the want to eat and drink, they have no choice. But they stay out there all day and even get up on the roosts which actually puts them in the wind. I think the combo of the wind block and the deep liter keeps it warm in there for them. At least its warm when I go in and play with them. I will see if the DE added to the boxes helps and then do the bucket washing when it warms up some.
Anyway, Happy Birthday girl!! Hope you had a good day yesterday.
