Winter Dust Baths

[Abriana]

You can make a frame from pvc pipes and put a tarp over it. Place it in a dirt area and it won’t get snow underneath, and it will block the wind. The birds can dustbathe there, or you can make a box or use a tire and fill it with dir and put it in the coop/barn.

 

[path.otto]

I use a large storage container with a lid so I can cover it when the weather turns wet/snowy! It's kept in the partially protected coop filled with potting soil, soil from the garden and sand.

 

[Abriana]

I use a large storage container with a lid so I can cover it when the weather turns wet/snowy! It's kept in the partially protected coop filled with potting soil, soil from the garden and sand.

That’s a good idea!

 

[lazy gardener]

I tried a large bin in the coop. They refused to go near it. They now dust bathe in their DL in the coop, or in the DL in their winter sun room.

 

[RodNTN]

I usually don't provide artificial dust baths, I have a very large coop, so my hens usually "create" a dust bath of their own. It is usually made up of dirt, shavings, feed, etc. Whatever my hens can come up with It may not be as high class as an artificial bath, but it does get my girls and boys by in the winter.

 

[CapricornFarm]

What about the ash from a charcoal grill? Anything wrong with that?

Might have remnants of lighter fluid stuff?

 

[Gammond]

We have a large flotation tractor tire upright - it's almost as wide as it is tall.. found it for free in the local tire shop's tire pile.

It keeps the snow and water out!

 

[HoopyFrood]

I can understand the "antiseptic" nature of wood ash being effective on keeping pests down - but why so little concern about the chickens' respiratory health for those advocating wood ash?

Humans don't like breathing wood smoke, and there is no dust in the world that is good for us to breath. I would think chickens would be even more sensitive to it given their amazing, but relatively "fragile" respiratory systems. In my admittedly noob opinion it seems that breathing in wood ash dust just CAN'T be good for them - regardless of how effective it is against mites or lice. That's one of the many reasons we don't use DE either.

This is our first winter with chickens. Like Aart we're just planning on using dry dirt in tubs when the area under the coop freezes.

Ask me in the spring how well it worked

 

[andreanar]

I use peat moss and potting soil without fertilizer in a big container. They love it.

 

[cavemanrich]

I can understand the "antiseptic" nature of wood ash being effective on keeping pests down - but why so little concern about the chickens' respiratory health for those advocating wood ash?

Humans don't like breathing wood smoke, and there is no dust in the world that is good for us to breath. I would think chickens would be even more sensitive to it given their amazing, but relatively "fragile" respiratory systems. In my admittedly noob opinion it seems that breathing in wood ash dust just CAN'T be good for them - regardless of how effective it is against mites or lice. That's one of the many reasons we don't use DE either.

This is our first winter with chickens. Like Aart we're just planning on using dry dirt in tubs when the area under the coop freezes.

Ask me in the spring how well it worked

I agree with your concerns. If you look at DE under a microscope It looks like crushed glass. Wood ash most likely not. Peeps have been using DE including myself a long time. One time 3 of my chickens did get a respiratory incident. It was bacterial or viral? Something in the family of cholera or something. In 3 consecutive days all 3 died. It wasn't pretty... I feared that I was going to loose the rest of my flock of pets. The rest did not catch it.
So in all my years of chicken keeping, have them dusting in ash, and DE in the bottom layer of coop and loft floor, have never encountered an incident of respiratory issues. My pets do live long lives.
Not everything is going to kill you, even though some are more sensitive than others. George Burns lived to be 100. Most pictures show him with a cigar. You get the point.