The Poultry Keeper

HelenP · Joined: 12 Mar 2006 Posts: 144 Location: GLOUCESTERSHIRE

I had made what I thought was a great dustbath for the chickens - a mixture of purpose bought topsoil and playsand - in a cat litter tray (brand new I hasten to add). But do you think the little b*****s knew what it was for - oh no, they thought it would be great fun instead to kick the contents out all over the place. Now as I watch them preening themselves I'm left wondering what they can have as a dustbath - any suggestions?

richard · Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 258 Location: somerset

I made a dustbath for mine. It's 4'x4' and about 8" deep. It looks like a kids sandpit really. I filled it with kiln dried sand at first and they did use it for a while until the level of sand got too low where they'd kicked it out. Then I re-filled it with ordinary sharp sand. This is damp straight out of the bag but after they've kicked it around a few times it soon dries out in a covered run. Maybe a litter tray isn't big or deep enough. My chooks like to dustbath together sometimes so a litter tray wouldn't be anywhere near big enough for them.

andym01480 · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 132 Location: King's Lynn

Mine leave the dustbath well alone - a pot with compost in is far more fun!

HelenP · Joined: 12 Mar 2006 Posts: 144 Location: GLOUCESTERSHIRE

thanks for the suggestions guys. I've just had to retrieve a piece of garlic from the water as I was changing it in readiness for tomorrow. One of the black rocks grabbed it!!

Lisa · Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 9:18 pm Post subject:

With mine, there are certain places they like to go regularly to dust bathe in - maybe because its sunny / shady / sheltered / whatever.....

I've found if you put the dust bath there, then there is more chance they will use it.

debcat · Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 9:38 pm Post subject:

Mine have made their own, one in the roots of the fir trees, one on the yard and one at the top of the drive,
all dry, dusty places

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2299 Location: North Cornwall

I have found the stuff they really really love to dustbath in is ash from the log burner.

When I had chicks in the brooder in the house I gave them an ash dust bath and they went bananas in it. You can imagine what the house looked like with all that ash flying about. Everything was white, even us Laughing

but the chicks loved it and still do now they are grown up.

NannyP · Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 11:08 pm Post subject:

Mine tend to find spots beneath big shrubs, where the soil rarely gets wet. They dig down into the roots, the holly bush has great holes around it.
When Blue was brooding eggs last year, she would get off each day and get under there and her sounds of ecstacy were wonderful to hear.

fenwoman · Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 11:27 pm Post subject:

Try chinchilla dust.
Not the dust from dried chinchillas, but the fine sand used by them to bathe in.

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7424 Location: isle of lewis

mine love the ash from the wood and peat from the stove Very Happy

thought there was a fire outside the other day just the turkeys having a dust bath Cool

,althouth they go under my fire trees as well Smile

suz

mojo · Posted: Tue May 09, 2006 2:48 pm Post subject:

an old heavy drawer filled with kids play sand half way up