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

[tara]

Dose any body use sand for there girls to dust bath in.Thought it might not clog up so much

[Margaret]

+ WIR

Lavender

Mabel

Marjorie

 

I use half John Innes and half play sand and a dash of Diansious Earth ( dont know how to spell it ) sorry.

I do have posh birds, who also enjoy chees and biscuits late evening !!! but thats another story

[Raina]

Hi,

 

I did use sand but my girls kept eating it and Orakiah laid in it once so i took it out.

 

I now dig up some mud/dirt and put it in for the girls but they prefer to scratch at the floor and make their own dust bath

 

Raina

[rufusrooster]

i bought a bag of top soil and mixed some diatom & stalosan in with it, does the job and they seem to like it, when they come out and shake themselves they create a massive dust cloud, you dont want to be near them when they come out although they still make there own as well in the borders.

[Sarahsausage]

I've used half soil and half sand mixed with diatom.

 

They haven't used the dust bath I've made them using a shallow tubtrug yet I'm wondering if I should have bought a bigger tubtrug, it's the 15ltr one that I've got, does anyone else have one this size that their girls actually use? If so, how did you encourage them to use it?

[Hen Watch]

Dry earth from the garden is all my lot get.

 

Periodically I add louse powder too.

 

They haven't used the dust bath I've made them using a shallow tubtrug yet I'm wondering if I should have bought a bigger tubtrug, it's the 15ltr one that I've got, does anyone else have one this size that their girls actually use? If so, how did you encourage them to use it?

 

At this time of year with nice dry earth in the flowerbeds my lot prefer the flowerbeds but I still keep a dustbath in the run permanently. The dustbath will really come into it's own in the winter when the soil outside is too soggy to use and they will be glad of their nice dry earth in their dustbath.

[zmurffi]

I bought a bag of top soil and mixed it with bird sand they didn't like it in the run. Now they are out free ranging one of my empty raised veg beds seems to be the favourite. I have only seen one of my 3 dustbathing though is this usual. I've only had them for a week.