How Birds Survive Winter – And How We Can Help
Falling temperatures, less food, severe storms and hungry predators all make winter a harsh season for birds, but our feathered friends have many tricks to...
A dust bath is more than a fun game or occasional entertainment for your chickens – it is an essential part of grooming to keep the birds' skin and feathers in peak condition and free of mites, fleas, lice and other parasites. Fortunately, it is not difficult to give your chickens a dust bath to help keep your flock clean and healthy.
Defining Dust
The dust your chickens will appreciate most is far different from the lightweight, omnipresent household dust you may always be cleaning. For chickens, the very best dust is fine, dry, powdery dirt that will absorb oil and moisture but easily falls off feathers while shaking, without needing any rinsing. If the soil in your chicken run or coop is dry and powdery, you may not need to make any additions or changes to its composition to make it suitable for a dust bath. Many chicken-keepers do add wood ash, charcoal dust or food-grade diatomaceous earth to a dust bath, however, to make its texture more appealing and absorbent for chickens to use. It is important, however, to avoid adding any unnecessary chemicals to the dirt, sand or dust your chickens will use, since the dust will easily get into their eyes, bills and any open sores or wounds and chemicals could cause devastating complications or infections.
Making a Dust Bath for Your Chickens
Chickens will naturally use a patch of dry dirt to make their own dust bath, digging and scratching out a hollow area or shallow basin where they can flutter, shake, kick and roll to spread the dust all over their plumage. If the coop or run area does not have a suitable dirt patch for a natural dust bath, however, it is easy to give your chickens a dust bath they can conveniently use.
Once a dust bath area is ready for the birds, chickens will instinctively start bathing and maintaining their feathers with regular dustings, and young birds will learn as they watch older members of the flock enjoy dusting. If your birds seem reluctant to take a dust bath, however, you can encourage them to use the bath by gently sprinkling some of the dirt over their feathers and shaking it down to their skin if the birds are comfortable being handled. In time, they will learn that dusting can keep them free of parasites and much more comfortable, and your dust bath will become a hot gathering spot for your entire flock.
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Falling temperatures, less food, severe storms and hungry predators all make winter a harsh season for birds, but our feathered friends have many tricks to...
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