DorianGray Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Hello Please would someone give me some advice on (or provide me a link to) dustbaths during the wet weather. Our 4 girls spend most of their time in their extended run & we're concerned that they're net getting sufficient chance to have a decent "wash". I'm thinking that a cat litter tray would be a good "tub", but I'm a little stuck on what to fill it with, and to what depth. All suggestions gratefully received. Cilla Audrey Cluckey Pecky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Dry compost, play sand, wood ash. I use a shallow tubtrug. I found cat litter trays tipped over too easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 I don't provide anything now as they prefered the areas that they dug themselves underneath the trampoline and in the greenhouse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madbird Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 I use a washing up bowl filled with play sand... .. but lady legbar decided to uproot my potted plant today and dustbath in the pot instead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 I use a washing up bowl filled with play sand... .. but lady legbar decided to uproot my potted plant today and dustbath in the pot instead Did you have your camera handy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madchickenlady Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 My girls have a washing up bowl half filled with old multi purpose compost in the greenhouse. Spoiled? My girls? Never! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I have one of these from Flytesofancy. I top it up with ash from the fire daily. It is outside and has survived snow, wind and rain. Chooks love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Wow DA! What a luxurious dustbath!!! I'm going to show it to Mr Groovychook in the hope that he might try to make me one!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazzarina Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 My girls are in the run + entension, and they have a large flower-pot filled with a mixture of playsand from Homebase and spent potting compost. I put a few crocks in the bottom, and filled it up to near the top. They promptly threw half of the mixture out, and seemed to eat some of it too (why, oh why?!). They do use it as a dustbath, and as a perch/look-out post. Sometimes when one of them is laying, Bertha will patrol up and down the run and, if the flowerpot is in her way, she'll walk straight over the top of it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 That looks great DA, I can't see it though on the site... any clues on where I should be looking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 That's lovely! http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eflytesofancy%2eco%2euk%2fchickenhouses%2fDuck_and_Goose_Houses%2ehtml&WD=dust%20bath&PN=POULTRY_EQUIPMENT_OFFERS%2ehtml%23a1_21FSDB#a1_21FSDB or put dust bath into the search box Mine have dug a hole at the base of an apple tree, ignoring a lovely wooden trug, a belfast sink and a preserving pan! I then filled it with wood ash on saturday, so they ignored it for the rest of the day and used the flowerbed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I am so glad it is not just me! A lovely big old wooden drawer, filled with play sand, compost, even a bit of hemcore. And are they interested?? Not a jot! I have even scattered corn and meal worms into it to get them interested. They spend a happy 15 mins or so scratching around to find all the food, and wander off again. Not even attempted to dust bath! Apparently the patch of earth right by the clematis roots is much better... Poor Clematis... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazzarina Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 There's just no pleasing some chickens, is there?! I got quite a funny look when I went to the Early Learning Centre last month to ask if they sold playsand, and was told they only stocked it in the summer (I mean, what are chicken-owners meant to do?). I got a much funnier look, though, when I asked in Holland & Barratt if they sold citricidal, and was asked what it was used for. I mumbled something about 'chickens with colds' , which left the sales assistant very perplexed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I use a washing up bowl filled with play sand... .. but lady legbar decided to uproot my potted plant today and dustbath in the pot instead Did you have your camera handy? made me laugh too. Was thinking of an old large plastic dog bed for mine in their summer run location.on concrete I had forget me nots in it last spring & by autumn the had "found it" Actually maybe thats the answer, will try planing it up with F M N & let them trash it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Mine have a vintage enamel washing up bowl - found on the tip (they could tip the plastic bowls over) in the run, it contains soil and wood ash, I also sprinkle some Diatom in there when I remember. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Mine have studiously ignored every dustbath have tried - from cat litter trays, washing up bowl, shallow garden trug. The most interest they have is in eating the wood ash from it. They like a particular patch on the steps. No idea why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Mine have studiously ignored every dustbath have tried - from cat litter trays, washing up bowl, shallow garden trug.The most interest they have is in eating the wood ash from it. They like a particular patch on the steps. No idea why. is it nice sunny spot, gets nice & warm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helenmb Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 They are on offer with FlyteSoFancy at the moment too. I find any old dry compost out of one of my pots they love (just make sure there isn't any polystyrene chips or those miracle grow granules in the compost) I just tip a bit into an area undercover for them and they make their own bath. I have also found that adding this to a large shallow plastic plant saucer worked very well for me when I had just my Eglu run as I could just about get it through the door and it didn't take up too much space in the run either. My two original girls used to both get in there and so some synchronised bathing, very comical. I found 4 of mine this afternoon out in some weak winter sun doing their dust bath shimmy with the other 3 picking juice titbits from those bathing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madbird Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I use a washing up bowl filled with play sand... .. but lady legbar decided to uproot my potted plant today and dustbath in the pot instead Did you have your camera handy? It just so happens...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 that is BRILLIANT (lots of big belly ) A brilliant photo to end the day with. thanks sooo much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickvic Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 What a great pic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
