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[Surfin]

My plans for constructing a WIR are progressing reasonably. I now need some ideas and advice on construcing a dustbath for my (yet to be purchased) chickens.

 

The WIR will have a concrete base and I thought of sinking an area about 1 metre square by 10 cm deep, this will be filled with fine sand,wood ash and a little diatom powder to a depth if 15cm, all contained in decking wood. I'm not sure about the proportions as yet.

 

As to the position would it OK under the coop? I will raise this by about 700cm. This will be the shadiest part of this 15 square metre run.

 

Any help or advice would be most welcome.

 

Ian

[Lavenders_Blue]

I'm not sure if there are any rules on the right or wrong place to site a dustbath, but mine seem to prefer dustbathing in full sunlight. I suppose it must warm the earth up for them. I find the dustbath is largely ignored on a dull day but as soon as the sun comes out a queue begins to form!

[Surfin]

Thanks for the reply Lavenders_Blue. Full sun it is then.

 

Ian

[thelurch]

If I understand you correctly, you plan to have an area which is lower than the main floor of the run?

 

Like a roman bath, so to speak.

 

In my limited experience, if you are putting down aubiose or similar bedding on the floor of the run then this will just get kicked in there and it will soon fill up with bedding.

 

I have an old Belfast sink I got cheap off eBay which does the job brilliantly as it has high sides and is easy to wipe clean and it's moveable around the WIR.

 

Apologies if I've got the wrong end of the stick.

[jimnpaula]

Thelurch, I read it that way as well. Surfin, my only thoughts are that if your WIR is not sufficiently weather proof then you will have a sunken mud bath rather than a dust bath, and that may be difficult to dry out. Perhaps consider something you can pick up and empty easily - or go with the full sun idea, but under cover somehow.

 

My experience: a shallow tubtrug of wet sand/soil mix is really heavy and takes a couple of weeks indoors to dry out!

 

P

[Chortle Chook]

I tried putting a dust bath under my chook's nest area and they did not use it at all. As others have said here, I think chickens like their dust bath to be in the sun. How about a low tub trug - colour to go with any grub/glug that you may have?

[sari]

My girls ignore any dustbath I put in, and use it as a poop tray (yuck) and have taken to bathign in the Aubiose in the corner of the WIR so I foof a big squirt of DE and some light sand in there...fingers crossed it'd doing some good...

[Lavenders_Blue]

Mine were treated to THIS as a Christmas pressie. The tray is a good depth to stop the soil being flung out, the roof keeps it nice and dry in all weathers and it gets used a LOT It's placed in the sun (well when we get any) and the roof doesn't seem to make it too shady. I'm sure if you're handy you could construct something similar yourself.

Oh yes and they do poop in it

[rufusrooster]

depends how much room you have i suppose, this is one i knocked up when i 1st built my wir, soon after i rebuilt it with longer legs so its a table for them on top and a dust bath underneath, stays resonably poo and bedding free and is easy to empty and/or refil, just use top soil from b&q,

 

this was over a year ago now when new, have made a few other allterations as well, including a ramp on the steps to the cube, now use hemp and do not have a bale of straw in, it gets everywhere

 

[Surfin]

Although the area will be concreted with a clear corrugated roof I think my best plan is to have the base level with the surface.

 

It will be made from decking boards and, appart from the colour look similar to rufusrooster's photo'.

 

Ian

[Chortle Chook]

Mine were treated to THIS as a Christmas pressie. The tray is a good depth to stop the soil being flung out, the roof keeps it nice and dry in all weathers and it gets used a LOT It's placed in the sun (well when we get any) and the roof doesn't seem to make it too shady. I'm sure if you're handy you could construct something similar yourself.

Oh yes and they do poop in it

I couldn't resist any longer and have put in an order. Can't wait for it to be delivered. Have you painted yours at all and if so what colours? Also what do you put in it? Do you use ash from wood fires at all or would that make the girls too mucky?

[Lavenders_Blue]

You won't be disappointed Cheaky Chook! I've not painted mine, but I think it would look lovely painted. If my garden was nicer and not just mud and grass (with a bit of extra mud on it) I would probably think about painting it to make it look pretty. I just weatherproofed it with a wood preservative also from Flyte so Fancy and I use soil from my veg planters in it. I don't use wood ash because I don't have a fire but I believe other people use wood ash so it must be okay!