4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Ange1]

A question for you.

 

What container do you use for a dustbath?

 

I'd like it to stay in the run, preferably under the cube itself. (keep it dryer?)

 

I was orginally thinking of using one of those shallow flexible trugs but I wonder whether it would be too high and therefore not enough clearance for the hens to get in underneath? These trugs a dear £10 approx!

 

I've also read that a few of you use cat litter trays, which are nice and cheap and I can even get a matching lilac one! Are they big enough for 4 hens and where can I find the sort with a lip on them to keep most of the dust bath in!

[Ange1]

Hmm I've seen this - pretty!

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PINK-RIMMED-CAT-LITTER-TRAY-CATS-KITTEN-TRAINING-PETS_W0QQitemZ330237029717QQihZ014QQcategoryZ29853QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Cooks]

I asked this question a while back and was told that a cat little tray can be used, I used an old butler type sink which is sqare and about 1.5footx1.5foot (measurements are not exact it's probably bigger) and they love it, we top it up a lot though..

 

They have also made another one that I found by putting my foot in it...

Edited May 25, 2008 by Guest

[McChook]

Hi

 

I use a cat litter tray - it's a bit bigger than the regular ones I've seen and the girls love it... two were bathing together in it yesterday

 

I got it from a regular petshop and it fits nicely behind the wheels of the cube.

[surferdog]

I made the one on the left using a mixture of silver sand, compost and DE. Occasionally two of them will get in together but usually all three of them perch around the rim and scoff it

They prefer to use the one on the right which Sylvie made like so

[Cooks]

aww I love that lst picture, so cute...

[Ange1]

Lovely photos surferdog!

 

I can see that an oblong dust bath would take up less space 'under the cube', compaired to a round shallow trug tub!

[Carol U]

Mine love flowerpots for dustbathing too - usually after they've hoiked out the plants that were in them. The last casualties were my courgettes!

[moomin]

Cat litter trays are ideal for dustbaths, my two have one and they use it a lot, although it's a bit of a squeeze with 2 big chickens in it, and they almost always want to share

 

Why not get 2 litter trays, the biggest you can find, and put them side by side under the cube, they should fit nicely and all four girls can get in together!

[peanut12]

i use an old tyre. The girls love it and the walls of the tyre stop too much being thrown out

[rachel m]

i use an old washing up bowl, but they still prefer the flower beds !?!

[Stevie]

How about a big old plant pot!

[*mummy_hen*]

We just went to somewhere like Wilkinsons and bought a large plastic storage box, it is purple and about 3/4 inches deep and they seem to really like it!

 

Have heard of the litter tray being used, but i think you would need the larger size ones, not the small ones to comfortably fit them all in.

[Cooks]

I think I am going to add another dustbath in the other end of the run, I opened my dads cupboard and he's got two unusde litter trays (dont ask me why he's never had a cat) and ones..... orange so, I am thinking it cant hurt to add another up the other end, as the runs large enough. If they dont use it I will leave it in the garden. They love the sink though, I think they like the cold edge?? because they seem to rub themselves on it... odd little lovelies that they are.

[Ange1]

Thanks Peeps interesting suggestions!

 

I see where you are coming from Loopyloo with the matching orange litter tray!

 

Certainly litter trays do vary in size I would have to go for a larger one.

 

I have an old washing up bowl, but it's dirty white (already gets used for various jobs in the garden). I know I am being daft and I'm not aiming for perfection but I want my girls set up to be least amount of an eyesore as I can manage as I think my Boyfriend worries about it and has only just agreed to the site of the cube...outside the kitchen window!

So I can watch the girls when washing up!!

[Egluntyne]

A shallow **tubtrug** is perfect for the job.

[Peachy77]

The tubtrug looks good. The p&p on the website is quite a lot though. Anyone suggest to buy one from, ar a website with cheaper p&p. Saw them in homebase today, but they didnt have the shallow ones. Also whats best to put in the dustbath?

[*mummy_hen*]

Try Countrywide if you have one near you as they have them in our local one. Think the shallow ones are about £6/7? They all come in such pretty colours as well so can colour co-ordinate with the rest of your chickens accessories!

[Hen Watch]

Also whats best to put in the dustbath?

 

Just nice dry earth is fine. Pinch mine from husband's greenhouse.

 

Or dry compost from old flowerpots.

 

If you feel more adventurous with your "dust bath ingrdients mix" you can chuck in some DE (known as Diatom). See Omlet shop link below. In Winter when there was not enough dry mud, I added a bit of Auboise bedding too.

 

http://www.omlet.co.uk/shop/shop.php?cat=Chicken%20Extras&sub=Health&product_id=230