RubyandRosie Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 I am new to chicken keeping and have had my two ladies for about 3 weeks. I keep them in a cube. We have had lots of rain but now the dry weather is here and I see them rolling around in ecstacy in the grass, looking like they are cleaning theselves. Can someone please advise about dust baths. Is there something you buy like sawdust for them, and do you just throw it into the run, or do they need a special container? I see Omlet sells them but is this necessary? Can I just use an old cat litter tray? (cleaned out of course LOL) Or are they just as happy without a container? I only let them free range when I'm in the garden. I am ordering a cube extension so will put the dust bath in the run. Many thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlina Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Good question! I thought mine weren't getting out of the run as often as I'd like due to work, and they loved dustbaths in the old compost heap at the other end of the garden. So I tried an old flower pot (large!) full of compost and diatamous earth and some wood chips - they ignored it. So I figured maybe it was too high up and tipped all that into a large cat litter tray - they ignored that for a few days and then tipped it over into the run. Tried again, they did the same Have given up for now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackian Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 My 3 girls have 2 large storage boxes but some people use litter trays , they are filled with a mixture of what ever I have ..a mixture of sharp sand (only because there was some in the garage ) compost from my old tubs and if I am feeling really generous new stuff .I also mix some louse powder in it (saves me rubbing them all over) and they just love them .It takes a while for them to get used to them but sometimes I get 3 girls in one.It gets rid of all the bits and pieces like buggy bits.as they come out shake it all off and carry on doing chickeny things. Sometimes I think I have lost one and suddenly I see a red comb pop up or a slight move ment...They love them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munkee1965 Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Hubby made me a wooden frame out of a piece of decking and I've put that flat on the ground. I've filled it with sand, compost and the really dry stuff i find under the conifers. The go nuts in it and are really funny to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I have a wooden dust bath with a little roof on it. It gets well used in wet weather (plenty of that recently) and really, really hot weather (nice and shady). Other than that, it generally gets ignored as the hens prefer to dig their own holes to dustbath in. One of the girls likes to perch on top of the wooden dustbath and use it as a lookout, which is quite amusing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heth1986 Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Mine have an old car tyre in their run half filled with a mixture of compost, sand and diatomaceous earth. There is also a layer of gravel on the bottom to help stop the mixture running into the ground. Mine isn't covered and seems to dry out really quickly after the rain, due to the drainage I guess? AND they can't tip it up! Mine did the same as yours with the other containers I tried Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixiewish Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Mine have a litter tray filled with compost, sand and diatom. They don't seem to bathe in it at the moment, just use it as a place to chill out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 It depends on the hens really - if they decide they will use they dustbath you give them, then brilliant. If not, there's not a great deal you can do to persuade them otherwise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyandRosie Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 Thanks everyone for your replies....I think I will just let them get on with digging their own dust baths in the soil, as they seem happy enough. I just wanted to check it wasn't a necessity that I was depriving them of. They are such happy little souls and I love them to bits! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 My girls have 2 plastic dog beds in their WIR which I fill with a mixture of compost, play sand and diatomaceous earth. They love 'em but they also dust bathe in the hardwood wood chip/earth on the floor of the run Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
