winter and dust baths

[DrakeJake]

whts best way to make this happen, dustbaths in winter. i figure ill get out the small kiddy wading pool, add sand and dig up dirt from under the snow and maybe bake it if i have too dry it out (sounds crazy but ill try anything once) anyone with an experienced idea?

 

[Judy]

Just the sand should be fine.

 

[DrakeJake]

thank you. i was thinking about grinding up some of the oyster shell and mixing with sand,but if sands good enough that saves me work

 

[happyhappy]

We just use DE (food grade) in the coop with Pine Shavings- one of my BA's can't wait she knows when she sees the bag of shavings. With the deep litter method they get a good dusting usually before the rain starts or when needed!

 

[akcharlie1960]

Adding pure wood ashes from a fireplace/woodstove works too. Not the fake log ashes or coal or charcoal.

 

[Stephan222]

What's DE?

 

[DrakeJake]

keep wanting to ask same question...yah...what is it

 

[CarolAnn]

I'm going to make a shallow box for my girls to dust bathe in during winter and put it out in the run. I'm doing deep litter but it seems to pack pretty solid unless I stir it up with my boot. There's plenty of DE in there though, if they can get it roughed up enough to bathe.

 

[OrphanNanny]

DE is Diatomaceous Earth....I get it at Fleet Farm, pretty cheap and the chickens think it's great for their dust baths

 

[DrakeJake]

oh crap...forgot the abbreviation. i checked into that but its pretty costly here anyway. $90 for a small bag...holy crap. i did get a bag of sand yesterday and found out my birds dont have mites...i thought it was a normal thing and thats why they dustbathed.