What to use for dust bath

[The chicken nurd]

So I’ve been adding to my run and was thinking about adding a dust bath inside my covered run I’m planning on using a kitty pool for the container but any suggestions as to what to use for the dust

 

[Egg Snatcher]

Old tire

 

[rosemarythyme]

I use plain 100% peat moss. You can also use/mix in: plain yard dirt or topsoil (no fertilizers/additives), wood ash, a bit of sand.

 

[Boise-girls]

I use a mix of potting soil (no vermiculite, perlite or fertilizer), coir fiber and either sand or sandy soil. Our soil is really alkaline, so we don't usually add wood ash to anything. They seem to like it best if I also throw in a handful of chopped straw.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Native soil can be used, many prefer a Sand medium grit base… and it can be that basic.

You will need to put it someplace it stays dry. Or have a way to cover it when rain or snow threatens. You can put in a container (kiddie pool, mini sand box, tub, tire, or just dig a whole and fill with dust bath mixture of your design… some folk line holes with rocks or wood logs to help contain the dust and give the chickens a jump up on spot). Sone folks add shading (such as a shade umbrella).

Stuff people add to their base of dry sand or dry native soil.

Peat Moss (absorbs water and if using a clay soil absorbs water)

Sulfur Dust (eliminates lice and mites)

First Saturday Lime (not true garden lime so safe to use, eliminates smells and pests)

Dried Herbs (The list is huge… I would go with herbs that are traditionally used to repel insects).

Wood Ash (do not use ash from BBQ charcoal or trash burns, and if too high of ratio in the sand could cause skin irrational and burns if it gets wet)

Food Grade Fine Diatomaceous Earth (It is effective in killing lice and mites but now controversial to some)

Commercially formulated dust bath exist… but it’s cheaper to make your own… especially if you are already using some of the above things in your yard or on your farm. You can check out their ingredients though.

Oldest dust recipe I have is from the 1600s is a combination of Sand, Ash and fine Gravel carefully shifted through and mixed well.

What ever you do think about how to keep the bathing area dry.

I hope this is useful

 

[aart]

Have tried several recipes and containers, but they always chose to make their own on the ground in the run.
So I let them
There's a part of the run under the coop that stays dry so loose all year around.
I have added some sandy soil to that area each fall.

 

[3KillerBs]

As @aart said, they'll dig where they want to dig so I let them make their own dust baths according to their whims.