3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[Kittycat]

With all this cold weather and hard ground etc I was just wondering how important it is for chickens to have access to a dust bath over winter?

 

If it's still really important, can anyone send any photos of easy covered set ups...

[Valkyrie]

Well mine is covered in snow at the moment - it's too big for the run, but I think it's still too damp or cold for them to use. I uncovered it a couple of days ago, but they just scratched and left it. Only Kitty was trying to bath in the leaves the other day and got muddy. Mercedes tried but was chased off by Squirt - and she didn't want a bath, mean bird.

[Eggasperated]

Mine hadn't had the dust bath out for ages but yesterday they were trying to bathe in some old moss they had s"Ooops, word censored!"ed off the log in their covered run so I filled a deep planting tray with dry earth I managed to dig out from under an old raised shed (the rest of our ground is covered in snow) and they spent over an hour and a half taking turns rolling about in it and then jumping up flapping their wings and sending clouds of dust across the snow.

[Laura & CTB]

Mine have a dustbath in the corner of their covered WIR that they use almost every day. It's just a shallow tubtrug filled with playsand. soil and ash so can be moved easily around if necessary.

[veggiemad]

Mine have created their own dust bath in the gras under the cube, so its always dry enough to use- even in this weather, thankfully.

 

x

[WitchHazel]

Mine use their dustbath frequently, even when it is soggy.

 

Two of my Girls arw white, and we can tell when they've been dustbathing in the wet because they become very grubby looking.

[batcatz]

mine have a large cat litter tray filled with compost/diatom in a sheltered area of their run. Not sure how important it is, but its a nice place for them to go as its not frozen over. Its a bit annoying when they tip it over though.