Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi

I'm going to pick up a dog bed from a Freecycler and I intend to use it as a sand pit for my chooks. Can anyone tell me what sort of sand I should put in it please? Builders sand or kids sandpit sand? Also, as they'll be chucking it all over themselves, is it a good idea or a bad idea to add some louse powder in with it? That'll save me chasing Poppy to powder her bum!

Sorry if I'm a bit "thick" about this, but hey, so what

Hi I use playsand as it's been washed and we have loads spare from my little boy's sandpit. I don't think normal builders sand is suitable.

By all means put powder in it... I would say though that my 3 do not bathe in theirs at all, they eat it. In fact they get very excited over the playsand and ignore their grit etc til it's all gone! Might be best to see if yours do the same before putting any powder in?

Janeyo

Thanks for that Janeyo, I'll go to B&Q or Homebase or somewhere and see if they've got the right stuff. Looks like I'll be chasing Poppy a bit more then, that bum looks like it needs powdering My chooks are all ex-batts and I've had them 2 months now and she's the only one who still hasn't grown all her feathers back yet

Play sand is best which we put in a very large flower pot stand - big enough for at least 2 chooks.
HOWEVER our 4 have made baths in the paved area by the run which is mixed sand and gravel, the flower boxes which have nice soil and compost in and the dirt under the willow tree. So no matter what you give them they will find a spot that suits them best.
They are really funny to watch when they all get going so enjoy and have a camera ready.

Argos sell it quite cheaply

janeyo

if they do choose their own spot to bathe in then you can add the powder to that bit of the run