Dust bath

[Sue]

Can anyone tell me what is the best thing to use in a dustbath for chickens? Can I use chinchilla sand?

 

[Frenchchickens123]

Hi, yes that's fine, some people use builders sand! I personally use soil, the type you buy for garden centres which is pretty fine like top soil or similar (you could even use soil from your garden if it's light and fine) I mix mite powder too and it's cheaper! I have also heard of people mixing sand and soil, but whatever it's up to you. Hope this helps

 

[Aileen]

I use builders sand: B&Q love me I'm never away from the place!!...... I just put it down in layers with diatom in between with a heft dusting of diatom on top, might be cheaper thqn chinchilla sand.
A bag which is so heavy I can hardly lift costs like £1.60......

 

[ncotb]

Tried sand, but mine just dustbath wherever takes their fancy - like the big wet pile of soil my OH has recently dug out :evil: messy little beggars

 

[Lucylou]

Same here, I made mine a lovely dust bath in a nice container from fine sand with diatom mixed in, will they use it ??? They prefer to dig great big holes, which then fill with rain so they dig another one ready for me to trip up in :roll: :lol:

 

[Aileen]

Now that mine have started laying they seem to be using it as a nest box - should I be concerned.....?
They have an "internal" dustbath which is underneath their house for the days that they don't get out and I suppose it is fairly dark and sheltered... I have had to give up trying to grow tatties as they keep using the big pots when out and about - sorry if I fooled you into thinking they were anywhere near considerate :lol: :lol:

 

[dawn]

A very experienced chicken keeper suggested ash from wood fires. I thought brilliant, I produce loads of that in the winter and it's free. I made a lovely dust bath under cover in a cat litter tray. The best they did was walk over it on the way to make their own in the flower bed/ on the lawn/ wherever

One of my favourite things is watching them have a dust bath though, they seem in ecstasy. Mine particularly like the holes dug by the rabbits in the summer, and we have to be careful not to step on them as all you can see sometimes is a wing or head sticking up.

 

[girlracer265]

Same here, I made mine a lovely dust bath in a nice container from fine sand with diatom mixed in, will they use it ??? They prefer to dig great big holes, which then fill with rain so they dig another one ready for me to trip up in :roll: :lol:

sounds like mine :roll:

 

[Frenchchickens123]

Same here! They have a dust bath out of the rain with soil and mite powder but they prefer to dig holes in the garden, still I think it's nice that they have one in case they want to on rainy days although even then I don't think they use it! And I decided to put some of my plants that I brought in for the winter outside as the weather has been extremly nice, all my chickens have done is shredded them to pieces. Naughty chickens! :evil:

 

[Anonymous]

It's good old garden mud every time for mine. I made them a sandbath and they didn't use it once!