cbcart: nambroth: A StoryAbout a dustbath(Pictured here is Lorp, a black Australorp hen. Chickens an
cbcart: nambroth: A StoryAbout a dustbath(Pictured here is Lorp, a black Australorp hen. Chickens and some other species of birds, especially those in the Galliformes order, employ dust bathing in loose soil or similar materials to aid in hygiene and feather cleaning. This may seem counter-intuitve, but the dry particles do indeed clean their feathers and they look G L A M O R O U S afterward. Chickens love dust bathing and they develop a truly blissed out attitude about the whole thing. It’s very calming to behold. I highly recommend it.) So if I say, for future reference, put a sand box in my chicken coop/chicken run and fill it with dirt they will be in a state of pleased? @cbcart Yes! I like for them to have dust-bathing areas outdoors because they really enjoy the combo of “dry stuff to bathe in + SUNSHINE AW YISS” and I have a dustbathing area in their run (and also they make them in my gardens, thanks girls)… That said, in reality, we usually have about 6 months of hardcore snowy winter where I live, and there just isn’t much dustbathing to be had outside when everything is buried in snow. In the winter, an indoor (in their coop) box with sand/soil/wood ash blend is a great thing. They do toss it everywhere, though, so a box with tall sides can help. If you live in a milder climate, outdoors year round is the way to go for dustbathing areas. :) -- source link