Mrs Potts Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I'd like to buy the hens a new dust bath . If anyone has a tub trug as their dust bath, can you advise which size to buy? I have found small shallow and large shallow (15l & 35l respectively) but not a medium shallow. So, small or large best? They are ex battery hens, so they are quite large and it has got to be pink. Well, it doesn't have to be pink, but that's what they asked for. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 The regular tub trugs tend to be too light and easily flip over when a hen stands on the edge. I use an old enamel washbowl, but the recycled tyre trugs are heavy enough. Click on the photo for more information This site does them in two sizes (at the bottom of the page) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Potts Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 Thanks, Claret. I will tell them it is dark pink ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Believe me, anything lighter will tip over. You could try a deep, shallow cat litter tray, they aren't quite so tippy as a tub trug as the base is wider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanTheDiver Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I have a large shallow purple one, which at a squeeze fits six chickens - well they all managed to squeeze themselves in at once but had no room for movement My hens constantly stand on the edge and it has never fallen over, they love it I got mine from local farm shop that specialises in Horses and Chicken equipment, can't remember how much it was though but they did have lots of colours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Potts Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 I'd never thought of them standing on the edge - in my mind they weren't fighting over who got in first but queuing patiently (note to self: "idiot!"). At the moment they don't have a dust bath as such, they simply dig through the woodchip in the dry areas and waffle away where they feel like it. I've got a four metre Classic run - would the large one take up a whole section? Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Maybe, they trugs are quite wide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witzend Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I've found a large shallow round ceramic plant pot/planter at a garden centre - £6.99...........hopefully it'll be plenty big enough x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollie333 Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 The regular tub trugs tend to be too light and easily flip over when a hen stands on the edge. I use an old enamel washbowl, but the recycled tyre trugs are heavy enough. Click on the photo for more information This site does them in two sizes (at the bottom of the page) I use those tyre rubber recycled ones for the horses in winter. A lot heavier than the flexi tubtrugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I've seen large shallow different coloured tub trugs in our local horse supply shop. As they are quite shallow they wouldn't tip over and the weight of the compost / ash mix (or whatever you use) would keep it flat on the ground. I can't remember, however, if they had pink, but they certainly had lilac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I have one of those wide but shallow tub trugs, and there is no chance of that tipping over, I can barely lift it! But then again I have a lot of sand/mud in there. It gets ignored... but when Kiev used it (once ) it made it all worth while Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruciebumpkin Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I too use a large ceramic flower pot... because when they're not on their backs flicking dirt everywhere, they like to perch on the edge and have a chat to each other. I now spend far too much of my time finding new and interesting perches for them as they love a new mini-assault course! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Mollie, those are exactly the ones I mean, they sell them in our local feed store My girls use an old enamel wash bowl, it's about 18" across and very sturdy. I fill it with wood ash, dry potting compost and/or Diatom; whatever I have handy. They really enjoy squashing into it and I love watching them enjoy powdering their armpits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henslaved Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I too have one of the large shallow tub trugs and have seen my girls perched on the side, it never tips over but I always keep it 1/2 to 3/4 full . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandkymberley Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Hi, thanks for starting this thread, have been looking for a new dustbath for my girls since they broke the other one..... Just a quick question, does everyone keep there dustbaths in the coop? or do you leave them out? i dont mind leaving it out then chucking it into the greenhouse at night, but if a cat or something poo'd in it would that matter? sorry to ask so many questions! Do tubtrugs have covers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 .... if a cat or something poo'd in it would that matter? sorry to ask so many questions!Do tubtrugs have covers? Euuw! I think it would. I wouldn't like my hens to examine cat faeces with their beaks, for fear of them catching some disease. Nor would I want them to roll on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruciebumpkin Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Ours stays in the run all the time, as they tend to find their own dust bath when free-ranging. We try to put it partially under the shade as well so that the compost/sand mix doesn't get wet and they can bath happily in the rain. We only take it out every few days to clean it out and put some fresh stuff back in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanTheDiver Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 I put mine out in the morning and chuck it in the greenhouse at night, just in case we get a lot of rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Mine is in the run all the time, the run is covered with a clear tarp so it all stays dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandkymberley Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 i am looking at the shallow large one, if i have it in the run i wont need the cover or i might just buy it anyway but will the tub take up too much room in the run? i have a 3m run xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandkymberley Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 I have decided to keep the trug under the cube, in the shade and out of the way of rain and grub and glugs etc BUT.... do i buy 2 small or 1 large or just one small? im thinking that 2 small will take up more space than needed, i want to give the girls as much space as poss but with a dustbath in, 1 large would fit more of the girls in but would a small be too small for 7? i like them having the trug in the run, they have never had one! quite excited for them! Any advice? thanks xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 I'd use one large one as I think that queuing for the facilities is half the fun for chooks. It will enable top chook to show she is top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Potts Posted June 14, 2011 Author Share Posted June 14, 2011 I improvised with an old oval washing up bowl filled with compost, buried 3/4 up to its rim (remembered the lip/balance tip!). Hettie stood in it and kicked everything out into the run behind her, then up-ended by standing on the lip. Then all three had a wonderful time bathing all at once in their new compost pile. I've taken the bowl out and am sure my training will resume when I can get out to buy a proper tug trub. Maybe they knew it was black ... Mrs Potts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandkymberley Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 okay, im going to buy a large shallow one tomoz and will try and nip to b&q or somwhere today to get some fine soil and fine sand, might also put so louse powder in and some grit so they can really get into it! xxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Before you spend lots of pennies on fine soil and nice sand just thought I'd mention that I've tried all sorts of things for my chooks' dust bath from Chinchilla sand (you can't get any finer than that) to wood ash, then new ericaceous compost and even chopped dead leaves. None of this met with any approval in chick kingdom Then out of peak, when I was re-potting up some plants recently, I tipped the old earth into my chooks' sand pit with a 'there you go, try that' scowl . . . and . . . they loved it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
