WHAT IS A DUST BATH?
Chickens care for their feathers and skin by digging shallow ditches in soil, mulch, sand, even pine shavings, then tossing it onto themselves. The dirt coats their feathers and settles next to their skin, absorbing excess moisture and oil. It also serves to repel parasites that could set up housekeeping among the feathers, causing skin and feather damage, irritation, weight loss and interfere with egg production and fertility. Dust baths also serve as a recreational activity, a social event and exercise- think of it as chicken yoga! In hot weather, a chicken digs down into the ground to rest in cooler soil to lower its body temperature.
At the end of a dust bath, the dirt is shaken off and the chicken proceeds to preen and groom its feathers back into place.
Post dust bath shake-out
Synchronized preening
From a very early age, chickens enjoy tossing bedding up into their feathers and settling down into the shallow ditches they have made. Baby chicks appreciate a sand box for this purpose, but will dust-bathe in pine shavings if sand is not made available.
This is a baby quail.
Quail enjoy dust baths as much as chickens!
Mulch beds are a favorite dust bathing location for my chickens
DUST-BATHING AREAS
When I was a new chicken-keeper, my chickens were confined to the run, which consisted of clay-laden earth that was much too dense for an enjoyable dust bath. I had read different suggestions for concocting dust baths that ran the gamut from sand to fireplace ash, road debris, food grade diatomaceous earth and garden powder, but none of those additives are necessary and some are dangerous. Wood ash becomes lye when wet. Road debris often contains salt and petroleum products and food grade diatomaceous earth is a hazard in a variety of ways to chicken health and human health. (read about them here) I recommend plain construction grade sand or clean, dry dirt from the chicken yard. The truth is: dirt or sand perform all of the functions chickens require of a dust bath- there is no need for additives. I use sand on the floor of my chicken runs and for litter in all of my coops and the chickens dust-bathe in all seasons and weather conditions.
ABOUT DIATOMACEOUS EARTH
I am often asked about the utility and safety of food grade, diatomaceous earth (DE) in dust bath areas. Not only is it unnecessary, it is unhealthy for chickens, humans and the environment. For a closer look at the hazards of DE, read these articles: here and here. I do not recommend the use of DE around chickens for any purpose.
Winter dust bath in the sand, under the coop. As long as the sand stays dry it will remain loose and good for dust-bathing all year
Thank goodness for that third eyelid!
Kathy Shea Mormino
Affectionately known internationally as The Chicken Chick®, Kathy Shea Mormino shares a fun-loving, informative style to raising backyard chickens. …Read on
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WHAT IS A DUST BATH?
Chickens care for their feathers and skin by digging shallow ditches in soil, mulch, sand, even pine shavings, then tossing it onto themselves. The dirt coats their feathers and settles next to their skin, absorbing excess moisture and oil. It also serves to repel parasites that could set up housekeeping among the feathers, causing skin and feather damage, irritation, weight loss and interfere with egg production and fertility. Dust baths also serve as a recreational activity, a social event and exercise- think of it as chicken yoga! In hot weather, a chicken digs down into the ground to rest in cooler soil to lower its body temperature.
At the end of a dust bath, the dirt is shaken off and the chicken proceeds to preen and groom its feathers back into place.
Post dust bath shake-out
Synchronized preening
From a very early age, chickens enjoy tossing bedding up into their feathers and settling down into the shallow ditches they have made. Baby chicks appreciate a sand box for this purpose, but will dust-bathe in pine shavings if sand is not made available.
This is a baby quail.
Quail enjoy dust baths as much as chickens!
Mulch beds are a favorite dust bathing location for my chickens
DUST-BATHING AREAS
When I was a new chicken-keeper, my chickens were confined to the run, which consisted of clay-laden earth that was much too dense for an enjoyable dust bath. I had read different suggestions for concocting dust baths that ran the gamut from sand to fireplace ash, road debris, food grade diatomaceous earth and garden powder, but none of those additives are necessary and some are dangerous. Wood ash becomes lye when wet. Road debris often contains salt and petroleum products and food grade diatomaceous earth is a hazard in a variety of ways to chicken health and human health. (read about them here) I recommend plain construction grade sand or clean, dry dirt from the chicken yard. The truth is: dirt or sand perform all of the functions chickens require of a dust bath- there is no need for additives. I use sand on the floor of my chicken runs and for litter in all of my coops and the chickens dust-bathe in all seasons and weather conditions.
ABOUT DIATOMACEOUS EARTH
I am often asked about the utility and safety of food grade, diatomaceous earth (DE) in dust bath areas. Not only is it unnecessary, it is unhealthy for chickens, humans and the environment. For a closer look at the hazards of DE, read these articles: here and here. I do not recommend the use of DE around chickens for any purpose.
Winter dust bath in the sand, under the coop. As long as the sand stays dry it will remain loose and good for dust-bathing all year
Thank goodness for that third eyelid!
Love your videos! Watching them brings back so many memories of the farm where I was raised back in a rural area of Massachsetts. Your site also makes it tragically clear how much we are abusing these animals every day in this country, forcing them to spend their entire lives in confinement cages smaller than a microwave oven, never seeing the sun, never chasing a bug, let alone the thrill of a dust bath. I am very fortunate to have access to a great site called the Iowa Food Coop from which I can purchase cage free chickens and eggs,… Read more »
Give them a week or so to get accustomed to eating and drinking as their primary jobs, Renee.
I brought my chicks home today. When is a good time to put the box of sand in the brooder? They are eating and drinking like crazy. It’s a full time job replacing the soiled paper towels but I love every minute of it.
We used play sand in our coop before we knew you were supposed to use construction grade. They got these little black bugs and the bugs laid eggs all in our sand it was horrid. If I was to ever use sand again will those bugs nest in construction grade. This is my first year with chicken and information well we very one has some it’s confusing. I have cleaned the coop many many times and treated my chickens these bugs are relentless.
You need to study DE more thoroughly. It comes from the earth and when a little is mixed with the chickens feed they will be worm free. It literally kills every type of internal worm they have. This in addition will keep the feather mites off of them