Grow Your Own Magazine

hawthorns · #1 (**permalink**) 02-10-2008, 06:26 PM

i want to incorporate a dust bath into the eglu run. would a cat litter tray do the job and whats the best material to put in it. sand or soil

digthatchick · #2 (**permalink**) 02-10-2008, 07:03 PM

Yes that would be a great dust bath, just fill it with play sand and watch them go! It would be best to drill a few holes in the bottom so that it does not get waterlogged.

Snadger · #3 (**permalink**) 02-10-2008, 07:11 PM

I tried to use a cat litter tray filled with straw as a nestbox! It worked fine until one chook stood on the edge and catapulted straw and eggs into oblivion!

Whatever you put it in, it won't stay there long as they'll scratch it out and flip the tray!

Unless it's just my big vandalising hybrids that do this type of thing!

btw, I have a large plastic dog bed filled with sand. It's under a table so it stays dry. They seem to go through a 25Kg bag of sand per month. As well as dustbathing they eat it!

lynda66 · #4 (**permalink**) 02-10-2008, 08:14 PM

i was thinking of asking on freecycle for a childs sand pit, poundstretchers sell play sand cheap is play sand ok?? and if possible sinking it into the ground, but i guess there won't be enough room in an eglu??

MaureenHall · #5 (**permalink**) 02-10-2008, 08:35 PM

I got a dog bed off freecycle and some play sand for mine. They never used it!! Preferred to dig their own so the cat started to use it as a loo instead

It's now cleaned out and sunk into the ground at my lottie as a herb bed

janeyo · #6 (**permalink**) 02-10-2008, 09:43 PM

I used to give mine an old litter tray with play sand in it....

THEY ATE IT!!!!!!!!

Over and over, had a lovely time. I guess they thought it made a nice change from their grit lol.

So now they make their own dust baths usually under the conifers where it's always dry. In fact they have hollowed out a little dent in the ground! It's lovely to see them basking in the sun with there wings spread out.

janeyo

I did ask on my chicken board and the general consensus was that if they wanted to eat it it would do them no harm!

Noodle · #7 (**permalink**) 03-10-2008, 10:41 AM

Mine sepnd hours in their sef made dustbath under the trees, it's huge and they managed to dig up some of my bulbs while they were creating it! Haven't tried to put one in their run, but am thinking about it as they seem to love it so much! I think someone said about putting cold fire ash in with sand, think it's meant to help with mites?!

lynda66 · #8 (**permalink**) 03-10-2008, 11:18 AM

i've just got a castle shaped sandpit in purple and yellow off freecycle ...... thought it might brighten the place up a bit

lainey lou · #9 (**permalink**) 03-10-2008, 11:22 AM

Don't spend money on it cause chances are they won't dust bath where you want them to, they'll find their own spot! What's your eglu sat on?

MaureenHall · #10 (**permalink**) 03-10-2008, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lynda66

i've just got a castle shaped sandpit in purple and yellow off freecycle ...... thought it might brighten the place up a bit

Hey, sounds good. Wonder how long it'll be before kitten starts using it?

lainey lou · #11 (**permalink**) 03-10-2008, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaureenHall

Hey, sounds good. Wonder how long it'll be before kitten starts using it?

eurgh!!!

lynda66 · #12 (**permalink**) 03-10-2008, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaureenHall

Hey, sounds good. Wonder how long it'll be before kitten starts using it?

lol cleo and asbo won't be allowed in the chicken run, fresh chicken is for humans only ...... anyway she is going to learn a lesson today, i've just filled up the fish tank to put the baby fish in, she's been diving in and out of it the last few days, (probably cos it smells of mice) without looking ....... does that make me mean?? i'll get a towel ready

T-lady · #13 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 06:30 PM

Hey hawthorne. We got an Eglu 3 weeks ago and put a cat litter tray in filled with a mix of play sand and compost. The girls seem to love it - a combination of eating it, scratching it, lying in it and - in the case of Lilly'en - wallowing in it like you would a big bubble bath. They've not managed to flip it over yet so it seems OK.

I've just emptied it onto the flower beds at the end of the week and given them new stuff (they poo in it too of course!) I'm expecting my heavy clay soil to be much lighter next spring following liberal applications of sand, compost and chicken poo! (BONUS!!!)

hawthorns · #14 (**permalink**) 08-10-2008, 10:43 PM

does anybody put diatomaceous earth powder into the dust baths

Flummery · #15 (**permalink**) 09-10-2008, 09:55 AM

Some do. However, they use a mask when adding it. Don't breathe it in.

MaureenHall · #16 (**permalink**) 09-10-2008, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flummery

Some do. However, they use a mask when adding it. Don't breathe it in.

doesn't it affect the chooks lungs too then?

hawthorns · #17 (**permalink**) 09-10-2008, 06:08 PM

what other alternatives do people use

Flummery · #18 (**permalink**) 09-10-2008, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaureenHall

doesn't it affect the chooks lungs too then?

Not sure Maureen. Lots of people swear by it - but it works on the lice and mites by drying up their bodies so I assume it's not a good thing to breathe in or ingest in any way. I have read on a poultry keeping forum that it has affected one chap's breathing very badly. Worries me a bit, that.

Flummery · #19 (**permalink**) 09-10-2008, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hawthorns

what other alternatives do people use

Some people reckon that ash from the fire is very good added to a dust bath. We don't have an open fire thoug.h

MaureenHall · #20 (**permalink**) 09-10-2008, 06:27 PM

Plain and simple soil in the garden. The chickens dig their own hole and chuck the soil all over themselves, it's really funny to watch them

Then they get out, give themselves a good shake from head to foot and wander off to see if there's any food around before doing it all over again!

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode