Dust bath Benefits
Encourages them to Clean
When they jump in the dust they have a blast! But that's not it:) The dust soaks up all the oil that can built up on your chickens feathers. It also helps with removing feather flakes and dander because your chickens will actually preen more often when they take dust baths on a regular bases! While preening they will your chickens will oil there feathers by reaching back to the top of there tail pad. There is a oil gland there and they use it to cover there feathers with just enough oil to keep there feathers nice and water proof and looking clean.
Avoid Parasites
Yes, dust baths help control parasites naturally! You just need to add stuff to the dust bath that can really take care of all mites and lice that your chickens can get. No, chicken lice is not the same as human lice;)
Happy Hens
Stop and just watch your girls. They love take a dust bath don't they? I know mine do! The dust can be something that can really bring your hens peace and relive stress! Less Stress = Healthy Chickens!! It can also cool them off. It is funny when they are ALL doing it, dust flying everywhere! Ha ha ha!!
Build it
Bath Area I am going to be building a dust bath soon for my chickens pinned area but for now I just provide an area and add what will help them in killing off parasites and keeping them away.
Scrap Wood
You can build a dust bath box for cheap! Just use scrap woods but try and be sure it is at least 6" to 8" deep and big enough to fit your birds. I will be making mine big enough to fit at least two chickens at a time:)
What to fill it with?
- Grab some soil from your garden.
- You can add sand to make it a bit more dusty.
- Wood ash is very harmful to parasites. Just burn some leaves and let the ash cool before adding it:)
- Food Grade Diatomacious earth (DE) - This is a fossilized diatoms that are microscopically sharp! When they are eaten buy most bugs they will kill them by cutting the guts of not only mites, but lice as well! It does not hurt you or your chickens so don't trip:) A little goes a long way!
Well friends, I hope this helps some of you guys out there. If you need help or want to ask questions go right ahead here or join us on facebook.
God Bless - Matt
I really enjoy your posts. I knew about the D.E. but did not know about the ash! I also really enjoy your free books. Please keep the great advice coming!
ReplyDeleteO thank you!! We will have a new very interactive site soon:) I am hopping everyone will enjoy it!! DE works great but so does ash!!
DeleteThe ashes work great in gardens too. Fertilizer and repellant.
DeleteThe ashes work great in gardens too. Fertilizer and repellant.
DeleteThe DE is not eaten by the bugs. It cuts up their outsides.
DeleteBe careful not to get DE near any plants that bees visit. They will get it on them and carry it back to the hive and the entire colony could be wiped out.
DeleteLoved this info, thx so much, I feel like when we finally Get ready to have chickens, I'm gonna be prepared! :-) I'm so excited to get some. Any kind you prefer? Do u have coop build plans? Do u order the scratch n feed online? Thx 4 ur help :-)
ReplyDeleteSulfur
ReplyDeleteGood information, but a difficult read. Please proof read for grammar and spelling Matt. Your career as a blogger will take off.
ReplyDeleteSpelling and grammar are NOT the point.... MESSAGE is good information and conversational... <3
DeleteCan send be composted?
ReplyDeleteAre you meaning sand? Send does not compost because it is basically rock but you can add it into your compost pile as long as it is not too much.
DeleteWood ash turns to lye when mixed with rain in the garden, which will kill earth worms. Be careful with wood ash.
DeleteCan send be composted?
ReplyDeleteWhere does one get food grade diatomaceous earth? I have d.e. that we use for swimming pool filter - will that work?
ReplyDeleteFood grade has very little crystalline silica wild pool diatomaceous earth has very high levels of crystalline silica. Crystalline silica is very dangerous and can be harmful to the health of humans and animals so I would avoid it if I were you. I hope that helps:)
DeleteTractor Supply sells food grade diatomaceous earth. You can get a good sized jug for about six or seven dollars. Do not use the pool type with chickens. Ever.
DeleteWood ash is extremely caustic and should not be used for animals. It's what lye is made from. It will eat your skin
DeleteTHIS IS GOOD INFO
ReplyDeleteQuestion? I am new to this chicken farming thing. I bought 6 chicks right after Easter. They've been inside (back porch, large dog crate with heat lamp) and are spoiled to death!!! Just turned them out in their new chicken PALACE and pen yesterday. They weren't too thrilled ad the sun started to set, they wanted back INSIDE ��
ReplyDeleteMt question is regarding their dust bath area. The pen isn't enclosed (with a roof... just fencing) so what can I do to keep the sand and ash dry, when it rains? Should I put it inside the coup?
Yes, I would bring it inside because you really don't want it getting wet.:)
DeletePlease go to the chicken chick.com and read her blog about dust bathing and why not to use diatomaceous earth anywhere around your chickens or yourself. It is damaging to both of you. The chicken chick is a very reliable and knowledgeable resource for all things related to raising backyard chickens. She has a published book. It is available now for preorder for October release from Amazon.com. You will find all information on her blog. Please read and correct your information on this post. You are well intentioned but not correct.
ReplyDeleteJanice, thank you for your post. I've read quite a bit about the DE in regards to human, chicken and other animals consumption of DE. I can quote supporting information and their author's. Why am I to regard the information on the chick sight and not the information which I've researched at great lengths, on my own? And why would you request that people on here "correct their information"? I will continue on the path which I've researched, but thank you for your concern.
ReplyDeleteI think the danger is the inhalation. You really should fold it into the sand/soil while the animals are somewhere else and humans should use a mask when they are mixing it or spreading it into the coop floor mulch (whatever you use) I use sand..it is great!
DeleteQuestion: Are you endorsing the sales of her book? Is she a veterinarian? A doctor? A dietician? I'm just wondering how she became an expert? I would love to read some of her supporting evidence.
ReplyDeleteNo, no endorsement. Just telling you what is in her blogs will now be available in her book. She has had her book fact checked by poultry veterinarians and everything has been thoroughly researched. She has a large healthy backyard flock. She has daily live feeds in her backyard during which she teaches the principles of raising chickens as pets and egg producers. If you check out her website you will understand her expertise.
ReplyDeleteI am not a keeper of chickens...just interested in learning. She will give you supporting evidence for not using de around yourself or your chickens. Check her out. She is a lawyer and as such is very keen about accuracy. I have no reason to care other than I would want to follow her principles for raising chickens if I did raise poultry.
ReplyDeleteI lightly sprinkle DE in the coop to cut down on the flies during the summer. And it works great. Been using it for 2+ years haven't had a sick chicken. Better than a fog or spray.
ReplyDeleteAs a soap maker and someone who raises chickens I know that sprinkling wood ash on your Gardens or using it for a chicken dust bath will not eat their skin nor yours. In order to make lye you run water through the wood ash, hours later it starts to drip through, it is caught in a pan and then boiled for hours and hours in order to concentrate the lye. A simple sprinkling of rain will not kill your earthworms nor your chickens!
ReplyDeleteWhile the Chicken Chick has some very good information learned through her own experiences while working with her backyard flock, keep in mind that her
ReplyDeleteinformation is based on her particular situation. Her information on diatomaceous earth is based on inhalation. There is other research suggesting that used properly, and given the relatively short lifespan of a chicken, it should not affect their respiratory system anymore than any other component of the dust found in their daily bathing activities. As for human exposure, don't work it into a cloud of dust, use a mask if you have any concerns or if it is a particularly dry day. The human studies of inhalation and lunch damage were to miners who were exposed daily to large amounts of the product over a lifetime. Common sense rules.
I meant lung damage!Lol!
DeleteI’ve enjoyed reading this thread about chickens, dust baths and diatomaceous earth. I’m a new chicken mama at age 63, and until I got my 6 baby chicks in March I had never heard of diatomaceous earth. I have extensive experience with horses and dogs, but sure had a lot to learn about raising chickens. As a nurse, I mix up my learning experience with web sites, books, FB pages, and blogs, with some Google thrown in. Ultimately, we are all going to educate ourselves and make decisions based on the experience of successful chicken owners who have happy and healthy birds. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and advice!
ReplyDeleteI use DE as a feed thru wormer for several species of my animals. It IS food grade, after all. Being all natural, there is no egg withdrawal period. And it repels ants and fleas, too
ReplyDeleteHow much DE food grade do you add to the dust box? I’ve put about 15oz in a Rubbermaid bin mixed with fill sand, top soil and wood ash.
ReplyDelete