Scotty Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 I want to create a dust bath for my girlies, what should I put in it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 plain old earth, or compost, or playsand. or a mixture of them all. some people mix in ash from their fire also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted March 27, 2008 Author Share Posted March 27, 2008 great thankyou for that! is a large flowerpot ok? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Mine love a nice big flowerpot, or a tubtrug. If you are using ash, I think I read somewhere it should be woodash, not coal, unless you like your chooks to look like miners! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 not coal, unless you like your chooks to look like miners! *shudders at the thought of my pristine white fluffy cochin bathing in that!* Tubtrug, cheap cat litter tray or plant pot just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 My pristine silver nick would look a bit of a sight too - she's veryappearance conscious, it'd stress her out no end! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 I have no room in my garden for a compost heap nor a few large compost bins. I never know what to do with the hemcore from the run when I clean the girls out. The council won't take it to compost it as it is a 'bird flu' risk so I end up just putting it in black bags which I would really rather not do. I was wondering whether it would be a good idea to burn it and then give the ash back to the girls to use in their dust bath. Good idea or not at all? lol Btw-I currently use playsand and compost mix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 I use nice dry earth (from my husband's greenhouse but he doesn't know that ..... ) mixed with some Diatom (see Omlet shop - Diatomaceous Earth). Sometimes I chuck in a handful of Auboise if there's not enough dry earth to scavange or some old dry flowerpot compost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted March 28, 2008 Author Share Posted March 28, 2008 Thank you all so much. I order a whole batch of products from the omlet site earlier in the week and Diatomaceous Earth was one of the products so I will definitely add it to the dust bath. Mind you currently; they are all standing in the run with gale force winds blowing around their feet - Thats blowing any cobwebs away, that's for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meezers Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I go down the fields and collect mole hill dirt, it's lovely and fine, lump free, and I figure it's got to be cleaner than the soggy, dog peed on, mud that's in our garden. I mix it with very expensive bird sand ( play sand was sold out )it has loads of grit in it, so when they aren't bathing in their bath, they are eating it ! ( see my avatar! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I put a cat litter tray with play sand and compost in their run - they ignored it and just make dustbaths of their own anywhere they fancy . So I've taken it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...