Chicken bald back

[skye]

Hello all

 

Thought I'd try and get the benefit of your eggsperience over this little nugget of chicken behaviour:

 

Our Layla took it upon herself to dig herself a Layla-sized hole in our soil border at the weekend, gradually easing herself lower and lower until she was almost flush with the ground, and then just lay there quite content.

 

Is she taking a dust bath I've read about on here do you think? Or do you think she's practising nesting in advance of her first lay?

 

Do other omleteers' chooks do the same?

 

Skye x

[Olly]

sounds like a dust-bath to me, they dig quite a deep hollow. Then they sort of roll around on their backs, I thought there was something wrong with my chickens the first time I saw one do this! if you're really lucky, a rather cute purring sound will follow

 

It's very good for them, mine won't use a dust-bath in the run, they just eat all the earth and then poo in it so I've given up, but they love to come out and bath under the tree.

[mattla]

Bangers and Mash do exactly the same....right in the middle of the flowers! They both get onto their backs and spread their wings out while throwing dirt all over the place. It is great fun to watch!

 

Lee-Anne

x

[harveypup]

We have 6 different dustbaths around our garden which the girls choose depending on the weather as some are more sheltered than others. I much prefer them having a lovely dustbath to having an immaculate flowery garden

[chocchick]

It probably is a dust bath. They do like digging big craters everywhere.

[Egluntyne]

A dust bath definitely!

[Hen Watch]

I agree, definately a dust bath. Mine started off with 4 favourite sites. But now after 4 months they prefer just one site under the apple tree and so big all 4 can dust bathe together. They have gone so deep now that I can see tops of tree roots...... But they love it and nothing grows there anyway.

[Chicken Licken]

Definitely a lovely comfy dust bath. My girls have a couple under various bushes and shrubs and make a great contented purring noise when they are rolling in them. At the moment they are both sat on my back door mat with their feathers puffed out wondering why they are not allowed int he kitchen!

[The Pearsons]

Mine have both dust baths and what I call wallows.

 

In the dust baths they, well, dust bathe (and it is sooooo funny).

 

In the wallows they just settle down so allyou can see are from their eyes upwads and they just sit there for hours. WWIII ereupts if one is in another's wallow though!

 

Silly things.

 

Helen in Hume

[skye]

Thank you so much for all the replies, the answers are unanimous - layla is dust bathing! (mind you, i'm sure hers so far have been more like lazy wallows)

 

You lots are a great help, thank you so much from we novice omleteers at skye

 

h and r

[James H]

Hi, my 3 little chooks let the smallest (Nell) spend a long time on a dustbath and when she hops into it the other hop in as well, lazy things! Nell spends a lot of time on her dustbath and it always right on the edge of our flower bed about 2 meters away from our patio doors so you can always see her digging away when your in the kitchen and the dining room! infact I am at the computer and I can see her now!

[Classy Chick]

Ok, I am obviously missing a trick here. Do I need to provide Sam & Ella with a dust bath or will they create their own in the garden?

I don't want them to be unhappy or without something they need! I have only had them for 2 days so am still in wonder at how lovely they are instead of thinking practically about dust baths and things!

Any thoughts please?!

[Tony]

Ok, I am obviously missing a trick here. Do I need to provide Sam & Ella with a dust bath or will they create their own in the garden?

 

As long as they have access to non paved or concreted areas, i.e flower beds and borders, they will create their own. My girls have a few different areas they use depending on the time of day and where the sun is.

 

My plants, or what's left of them all look as if they are planted on little mounds after the girls have finished creating their wallows between them.

[Richard]

Yes. dust baths. Bomb craters. In the veg garden. In the flower beds. anywhere at all.

 

then they sit there in the warm.

 

Lovely

 

I think I'll try it tomorrow, if its sunny.