In this blog, we will talk about Dust Bath for Chickens. Dust bathing is a vital behaviour for chickens and one that they should be allowed to do often. It’s part of their natural hygiene and a way to keep them healthy and happy. This complete guide will help you understand why dust baths are important, how chickens dust bathe, as well as give you all the information on setting up the perfect dust bath for your flock. Whether you’re an experienced chicken keeper or just starting out, this complete guide will give you knowledge and helpful hints to keep chickens happy and healthy.
What is a Dust Bath?
Dust bathing is a chicken’s natural behaviour when they roll and fluff themselves in loose, dry dirt or sand. It helps them rid their feathers of dirt and grime, control parasites and maintain healthy skin. Chickens naturally search out dry, dusty areas for their dust baths, and a dedicated dust bath area can help keep them from destroying your garden or yard.
Why Do Chickens Need Dust Baths?
Dust bathing serves several important functions for chickens:
- Oil Control: Chickens have a structure called an oil gland at the base of the tail that produces oil to keeps their feathers clean and water-resistant. Dust bathing is a way to absorb the excess oil to avoid the feathers becoming too greasy.
- Preventing Parasites: Dust baths help get rid of external parasites such as lice or mites on the chicken. The fine sand or dust particles enable the parasites to suffocate and become dried out, which makes it a difficult living environment for them to survive on the chicken’s skin and feathers.
- Skin Health: Dust bathing removes dead skin cells, which help to maintain healthy skin. Think of dust bathing as a spa treatment for your dog skin exfoliation is essential for skin beauty and health.
- Temperature Regulation Chickens dig into cool soil to help keep cool in hot weather. Dust bathing in a cooler soil can provide temperature relief.
- Social and Recreational Activity: Acting in a group permits dust bathing to be a social activity for flock members to engage with one another, improving their social-cognitive abilities via cooperative play and associate bonding during dust baths. Dust baths also promote cardio-vascular exercise, shedding parasites and engaging in recreational activity during off seasons, which keeps restless birds entertained.
Ingredients for a Perfect Dust Bath
The ingredients you use in creating a dust bath for your backyard chickens will largely determine how good they are. Here are some types of materials that are useful and beneficial:
- Loose, dry dirt or sand: The base of a dust bath must be loose, dry dirt or sand; it provides the main environment for the chickens to lay in and clean their feathers.
- Diatomaceous Earth (DE): It helps kill external parasites and is a natural insecticide derived from fossilised algae. DE should not be used too often because it can cause respiratory issues if inhaled in large amounts.
- Wood ash: the ashes from untreated and dried wood will act as a parasite deterrent, bind to toxins, and have added beneficial minerals for your plants such as calcium and magnesium.
- Herbs: Other pests can be thrown off by adding dried varieties of lavender, mint, rosemary, thyme and sage. Not only do these herbs add more insecticidal effects, but they also help us unwind.
- The clay base of your soil needs to have peat moss added to keep your dust bath nice and light and full of air.
- Sulphur Dust: Sulphur dust works great for external parasite control; make sure to add a little to your dust bath.
- Lime: Lime kills bacteria and dissipates odours. It repels insects, mice and other pests. Use a safe brand of lime that is meant for poultry..
How to Make a Dust Bath for Chickens
How to Build A Chicken Dust Bath Is an easy project that will bring your chickens joy. 1) Start by digging out a depression in your lawn where your chickens can enjoy their dust bath. 2) Then, put the chicken in the depression.
Step 1: Choose a Container or Location
Choose a container or space that is big enough to hold several chickens at once:
- A child’s wading pool
- An old crate or trough
- A large wooden box
- A galvanised tub
- An old tire
Make sure the container has some drainage holes in it so it doesn’t get too soggy if it rains.
Step 2: Prepare the Base
Fill a tub or some other area with some loose dry dirt or sand (at least 8-12 inches deep so they can dig and roll around comfortably).
Step 3: Add Additional Ingredients
Mix in the following ingredients to enhance the dust bath:
- Diatomaceous Earth: Add a small amount (a handful) to help control parasites.
- Wood Ash: Add a similar amount to absorb toxins and provide minerals.
- Herbs: Spread dried lavender, mint and rosemary around the ‘threshold’ to keep pests away and add a pleasant scent.
Step 4: Ensure Proper Placement
Be sure to place the dust bath where your chickens can easily reach it. Put it under a chicken tractor or run or in the shade to keep it out of the major rains and out of direct sunlight. Chickens will dust bathe in dry open sunny spots but also appreciate a bit of shade on hot days.
Step 5: Encourage Use
If you have never given your chickens access to a dust bath, you might need to coax them the first few times. Position the new dust bath near established preferred dusting areas, or sprinkle some treats around as a lure. After one chicken discovers it, others will often follow suit.
Maintaining Your Chicken Dust Bath
Dusting areas tend to be low maintenance, but need regular upkeep to prevent them from becoming clogged with debris and bones.
- Clear Out: Periodically, you will have to sift through the dust bath for any droppings, sticks, or other bits of debris that the birds brought back in from outside. Take them out.
- Top Off Materials: the dust baths get low over time; either other animals will move the stuff out when the chickens are not around or the chickens will fish it out with their beaks and throw it about. Top up with more soil, sand or whatever your dust bath contains.
- Stir and fluff: after a heavy rain or if the dust bath is compacted, use a shovel to aggressively stir and fluff the materials to keep them loose and dry.
- Add Freshings: Sprinkle fresh diatomaceous earth and wood ash into the mix with a fresh batch of herbs to keep the dust working.
Additional Beneficial Ingredients for Your Chicken’s Dust Bath
There are numerous other beneficial ingredients you can add to your chicken’s dust bath to make it work more effectively and provide valuable extra medicine for the chickens’ skin and general health.
Zeolite
Some zookeepers add a bit of zeolite to the dust bath. Zeolite is a natural mineral that easily absorbs moisture, and helps keep dust baths from smelling and getting too moist.
Charcoal
Crushed, untreated charcoal can help remove toxins and impurities from the dust bathing area; it also helps minimise odours, and can make the dust bath a little neater and tidier for the townies to roll around in.
Epson Salts
You can add a little bit of Epsom salts to the dust bath to help soothe small skin irritations or minor injuries, but not too much – you don’t want to sting that sensitive skin of theirs.
Clay
Bentonite clay is another wonderful additive – it’s highly adsorptive which means it pulls things out and it also provides moisture and a clay-like texture that chickens love to dust bathe in.
Shell Grit
Tiny shell grit, finely crushed and added to the dustbath, can be a good source of additional calcium, in case of laying hens who need it to strengthen their eggshells.
With these ingredients added to the dust bath, you’ve created an inexpensive and highly effective spa experience for your chickens. Use these ingredients in moderation, and always monitor your chickens for any adverse reactions.
Common Questions About Chicken Dust Baths
Can I use play sand for the dust bath?
Say what you will, but play sand works – and it’s easy to find! Yes.
How big should a chicken dust bath be?
Here’s how big a chicken dust bath should be to meet the needs of your hens. It should be large enough to allow for them to move around and easy enough for them to get in and out. A good minimum size would be 24-36 inches long and wide, and 8-12 inches deep.
How old are chickens when they start dust bathing?
Chickens start dust bathing when they’re very young often as soon as they are able to and baby chicks in their brooder bedding will often pretend dust bath.
Is diatomaceous earth safe for chickens?
DE can control parasites – but use sparingly. Too much DE can lead to respiratory problems in humans and in chickens, should it be inhaled in large amounts. Also, use food-grade DE mixed well with other dust bath ingredients.
Do you use ashes from your fireplace?
A good addition to the dust bath is untreated wood ash. It should contain no chemicals (such as lighter fluid). Wood ash keeps parasites away and adds beneficial minerals.
Conclusion
We recommend providing your chicken with a dust bath a couple of times a week, as this is a great way to keep them clean, keep their bones strong, reduce the amount of mites and lice they have, and is a pleasurable activity for your chickens. Dust bathing is a natural behaviour for your chickens, and with the correct ingredients and care, this will be a dust bath you and your chickens can’t resist. Go ahead and give your chicken a luxurious spa day! Happy dust bathing. Chickens find relief from mites and lice, with much less density of parasites on feathers and less scratching at skin There are numerous other ingredients that will help your chicken with their bath regime and improve their general well-being.
