Chicken Dust Bath

PORTABLE OR STATIONARY DUST BATHES HERE ON MY FARM

November 9, 2015
Since I will be moving the first chicken tractor we built from place to place, I need a portable dust bath area. This small container fits through the access door perfectly.  I cut one end out and left a 2" bottom edge.  I should have left 3-4 inches!  I filled the bottom of the container with play sand and wood ash, secuirty the lid on the container with a bungee cord.

They seem to enjoy the dust box even if it is a little tight.

 Kind of like the shower stall on a cruise ship, if you know what I mean!

December 15, 2015

Another beautiful and warm Tennessee day.  I picked up sticks in the yard and filled my fire pit.  I burned twice and had enough wood ash to put in the dust bath plus save some back for later.  I could smell a hit of smoke coming from the chickens later, so, I know they had been into it! Also, the white leghorns are gray!

This dust bath area, not mine, is functional, yet, artistic.

Dec. 26, 2015

Tilly was having a nice dust bath when I discovered she had laid her first egg.  It was also the first egg from my first chickens!  I made this picture with her, a very dusty Rhode Island Red, even though you might swear she was a Barred Rock because of the dust layer!

I was feeling festive, so, I put a scarf on Tilly.

Here is a picture of us with her first egg.

March 4, 2016

The next three hoop tractors we built have one large nest box (right),
 and a sand box/dust bath (left).

DUST BATH BENEFITS

[edited from Home Farm Ideas]

Encourages Your Chickens to Clean
When chickens jump in the dust they have a blast! But that's not all.  The dust soaks up oil that can built up on the  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 chickens will oil there feathers by reaching back to the top of their tail pad, location of the oil gland, which covers their feathers with just enough oil to keep feathers water proof and looking clean. 

Avoid Parasites 
Dust baths help control parasites naturally! You may also add ingredients to the dust bath which can really take care of all mites and lice that your chickens can get.  [Chicken lice are not the same as human lice.]

Happy Hens
Stop and just watch your girls. They love a dust bath, and it can really bring your hens peace and relieve stress! Less Stress = Happy Chickens!  It can also cool their bodies on a hot day.  If you don't provide a dust bath area, they will (and may anyway) create one themselves.

March, 2017

An open dust box is in the covered run, under the chickens' ramp to the coop.
Sometimes, two girls get in at one time

See the page on this blog, Chicken Coop / Hen House

for more information on The Garden Coop.