Talk to me about Dust baths .....

[ProfYaffle]

I'm preparing for the arrival of my chickens in a couple of weeks or so, I've got just about everything except a dust bath. I've got a flower pot that I think is about the right size but what do I put in it? And presumably it needs to be kept dry so it doesn't turn into a mud bath?

That's what I'm afraid of! We have a titchy garden and I'll be fencing off the tiny flowerbed full of veggies so they can't decimate it and I feel obliged to provide an alternative.

I'm sure I've got something in the garage we can use but what do I put in it? Just normal soil? With some sand maybe??

Just some normal dry soil will do it. My lot all dust bathe under a conifer tree at the back of the border. It's amazing when they shake just how much dust comes off them.

I often put some Diatom powder in the dust bath area, it helps kill any mites or nasties.

Oh crikey, there's so much I don't know, what's Diatom powder? I've got red mite powder, worming powder and poultry spice, don't tell me there's more I've got to get!

at your garden big enough for a conifer.

Mine have a favourite spot under a spruce tree that they use. When I tip the ash from the fires they use this, and they also use dh's sand pile (he uses it for mixing concrete). The cats also use this sand pile as a litter tray when they're not using our freshly dug veg beds .

this is Diatom I started using it when my first flock all had scaley leg mite. It's good stuff.

I use a cat litter tray with sand and soil in, often with some mite powder etc (although you shouldn't use that all the time as it can irritate their lungs). They often just dust bathe in the easibed litter though.

Now there's a thought, the cat will use a dust bath as a litter tray won't she?

Thanks for all your help everyone.

At least I've heard of scaly leg mite, don't feel quite such a dunce now.