bird bath assistance please

[elmwood]

Hi all,

Well we are on week 4 with our girls and I can honestly say its transformed our lives. I feel like a new mum of triplets..... The shed is full of chicken paraphenalia, and the cute "Field mouse" you all seem to like is living alongside us and the girls eating anything he can find!!

Now, I got to grips with the feather examination, thanks to my lovely poultry lady - Susie Page (pages poultry), who is up the road......She (bailed me out), assisted me last week, having found a few mites on the girls. So I raced up to her smallholding, and all three were mite free after the visit, and remain so..... Give them each a "once over" every couple of days.

Thoroughly deloused the house with "Poultry shield" and dusted nest box & perches with "Diatom" after reading your posts on here about the dreaded red mite.

Also as the girls are free range, I am scattering grit around the flower bed they tend to favour, rather than placing in a bowl in their house. It this ok? Two have been laying now for the past two weeks-simply magical!

So now, I am wondering whether to assist our girls with a little " bird bath". Have noticed our Lavender Pekin making a couple of "dents" in the soil and wriggling from side to side. This was last week when she had a mite or two on her. She hasn't bothered since. After searching for "dust bath" on here, I thought I would put some spare compost in an old round shallow washing up bowl ..... If that isn't any use, I'll get some sand - but what do I need to buy?

Our whole conversation revolves around the girls, they are so adoringly comical and they have certainly enriched our lives......Hope someone can assist an eager to please new mum

Thanks Sharron

[Davidd]

Hi, you can use sand- or plain soil ( as long as its dry) i would also put some diatom in with the sand/soil-
if they free range they will find places to dust bath- normally in your flower beds!
regards, David

[Hippie Chick]

Hi there,
I agree with David re dustbaths.
Just wanted to sayI've just bought some hatching eggs from Susie Page. She is such a helpful , pleasant person and I would recommend her to anyone. Just mention Gold Laced Orpington eggs to her and she'll remember me!
Hope you continue to enjoy your girls.

[elmwood]

Hi Hippie Chick & David,

Well what a small world! We feel very lucky to have found Susie- she is extremely pleasant and helpful oh and very patient!. Once we have mastered the care of our three girls we are hoping to have some more POL from her. I find it difficult not to just pop in when in the vicinity, such a lovely array of birds - she has some adorable chicks I have my eye on too. I'll be sure to mention Orpington eggs on my next visit.

As for the bird bath, wouldn't you know it. I placed a shallow bowl filled with compost and diatom near to where the girls favour some R&R. Next minute Lavender was wriggling in yet another dent. Upon closer inspection she had actually made three dents, I can hardly call them baths. Bless her! So in MY wisdom I thought I would get the hoe and make a deeper hole for her- she hasn't been anywhere near it and to add insult to injury she has now backfilled the new hole with earth from her foraging......

Heres Lavenders first "foot bath and blow dry" yesterday.....no fuss or complaining whatsoever!!

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Thanks for help,
Sharron

[gretl]

What fantastic photos - she is absolutely adorable!!!
We mix ash from the fire (cold, obviously) with sand and soil and put it out for ours - they love it!