Dust Baths

[jeannine]

We had the joy of watching our girl Delicious have a dust bath this afternoon, in a raised bed that I'd just weeded. She shuffled right down into the earth and flicked it up over her feathers. At one point she was laying on her side with her eyes closed in ecstasy, just stretching her legs out in the warm soil. She's an ex-battery hen, so she's never had the chance to do it before.

There's lots of room in their coop for them to have a dust bath, but so far they don't seem interested in having one so close to home. Is it only newly-dug earth that they like and should I fork over the soil in a corner so the earth is looser for them? Or was it just that today was warm and sunny so she felt more like a bath?

[Sue]

Jeannine
Amazing how their instincts still survive even after being in a cage, must have made your eyes mist over to watch her.
Mine don't have the luxury of newly dug beds but they've always made their own dustbath in their run and have been dustbathing all winter - as I can see from the state of Enid (who is white). When its been non-stop rain I've given them compost in a huge tray (bottom of a propogator) which has proved very popular.
Sue

[lozza_9]

its great to see them having a dust bath. My two chickens are normally on top of each other. We do have some netting on all beds as they kepted making a mess out flowers

they now use the path way which has stones ( which they move out of theway) and has earth but not fresh. I'm not a real expert but from what I have seen from mine two, they find the most inconvient part of the garden to have a dust bath!!!

Some people use sand and put it in a bowl in the coop but mine never used it. As it a battery hen its just getting used to a new way of life.

good luck

loz

[JackieAt]

This is the ultimate in GYO - our 2 newbies making the most of planters today - so much for flowers

[Sue]

Jackieat
Lovely pictures! was this before you'd sown anything...or after??
Sue

[roitelet]

My lot love to dust bath in wood ash in an old dustbin lid. Must keep it dry though.