Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[JellyBean2605]

I have an which my hens stay in most of the time, I'd like to set them up a dust bath, does anyone have any suggestions of what to use in it? I've noticed some people use litter trays with covers on to stop it being flung everywhere.

 

Thanks

[Lavenders_Blue]

You can give them anything you like - whether they use it or not is a different matter!

 

In all seriousness, something fairly large and deepish is best. I used to use a shallow gravel tray, which the hens liked, but the dust got flung everywhere in seconds. I now have a wooden dustbath with a roof from Flyte so Fancy. The dust doesn't get flung everywhere, but they rarely use it (except for shelter on rainy days ). They now prefer dust bathing in the woodchip on the run floor. I honestly think trial and error is the way to go

[JellyBean2605]

Knowing my chickens they'd probably eat it as they do their sawdust bedding!

[Lavenders_Blue]

My girls quite often have a good forage around in the dustbath I think there must be little bits of grit and other goodies to be found.

[JellyBean2605]

I've read somewhere that ash from a woodburner is a good thing to put in a dust bath, otherwise sand?

[Lavenders_Blue]

Yes, you can use either with no problems.

[gavclojak]

I use a mix of play sand, compost and a big helping of DE....at the moment I use a littler tray and an old tyre laying flat and filled with the mixture, they like to dust bath while the others perch on the side old the tyre watching

[Chickabee]

I made a dust bath with earth, play sand and ash. It was the scariest thing the chickens had ever seen. Only time they ever went near it was when I put live meal worms in it. Worth a try though some really take to it, as I've read on hear. It really doesn't cost much to make one

[Sandychick]

Mine have a cat litter tray with a hood. Hens love it and all the stuff in it stays dry and where is should be. I use a mix of play sand, compost and fire ash. I think they probably prefer the dust bath they have dug themselves outside the run (as it can fit all 5 of them in), but as they only free range at weekends in the winter, the dust bath in the run gets a lot of use.

[JellyBean2605]

Thanks guys, the cats have abandoned their litter tray as they now have an open-all-hours cat flap so I will recycle it (after a very good clean)

[Chortle Chook]

Sounds like a good plan. For what to put in it, I'v tired all sorts of things from the expensive (Chinchilla sand) to the 'costs nothing' (old earth from pot plants). My chooks hated the first and love the second