What to put in a dust bath

[SierraChickens]

Hi, my bantam coop right now is on concrete (I know ... its being moved soon). But I got this bowl, so they could have miniture dust bath. I then relized that I had no clue what to put in it. My mom told me straight DE, but wouldnt that irritate their lungs? Any one know what I can do.

 

[DobieLover]

My chickens love to dust bath in loose loamy soil and my double shredded mulch. You could also buy a bag of sand from a big box store and mix a little DE in if you wish.

 

[SierraChickens]

Ok, my bamtams dont free roam. So, just puttting some lose soil on their bowl whould woek great?

 

[DobieLover]

Ok, my bamtams dont free roam. So, just puttting some lose soil on their bowl whould woek great?

Make sure it is loamy so it won't pack down. Something easy for them to dig up and fluff into their feathers.

 

[Barbs Girls]

We mix loose soil, wood ash, construction grade sand and a little DE. They love it!

 

[Robin K.]

Hi, my bantam coop right now is on concrete (I know ... its being moved soon). But I got this bowl, so they could have miniture dust bath. I then relized that I had no clue what to put in it. My mom told me straight DE, but wouldnt that irritate their lungs? Any one know what I can do.

I was told potting soil and sand makes for a good dust bath.

 

[Shadrach]

Dust works well.
Chickens seem to like two types of dust bath. One very dry and fine particles, wood ash, very fine dry soil, fine dry sand and two, slightly damp soil such as newly turned compost.

 

[igorsMistress]

Plain old soft dirt they can scratch up and roll around in. That's all they need.

 

[snow5164]

The ash and de keep the soil light and fluffy , mine have a hole of dirt but after the rain they’re in the wading pool wood ash/de/sand bath