The Scoop from the Coop

At first the term dust bath seems like an oxymoron. Like “jumbo shrimp”, the two words just don’t seem like they belong together. But believe it or not, getting themselves completely dirty is the best way for chickens to get clean! Dust baths also help chickens stay cool and keep parasites away.

Chickens that are allowed to free-range will naturally find a cool, dirty spot to take a dust bath. If allowed, they usually enjoy digging up mulched garden beds (soil is cool under the mulch) and making a chicken-sized impression!

Chickens in your coop still need dust baths, so remember to give them the opportunity to get dirty. Fill a kitty litter pan or other shallow plastic or metal container with sand or a mixture of particles that can even include some fireplace ashes. Diatomaceous earth is also an optional addition to this mixture. It is a non-toxic powder made from fossils of freshwater organisms that has many uses, including being a natural way to keep parasites off your chickens. It is available at most feed stores.

In addition to keeping pests at bay, dust baths are great for keeping poultry cool on hot summer days. Since they cannot sweat, regulating their body temperature involves using the cool earth for their version of a shower! The particles of dust or sand settle in next to the chicken’s skin and help absorb any excess oil and moisture, making the chickens “clean”.

So, whether in a coop or roaming the yard, be sure to offer your chickens the opportunity to take a dust bath. You will get a laugh observing them enjoy their dirty way of staying clean and cool!

The most common myth about chickens is that they stink. They certainly do when they are crammed into buildings lacking fresh air or when their bedding gets wet – but for a backyard flock just a few simple tips can help minimize odors in your chicken coop.

A key to keeping chickens healthy and odor free is the proper use of coop bedding, or litter as it’s usually called. There are many types of litter but to function well all must be able to absorb some moisture, insulate the floor from cold, and give chickens a chance to dust.

Unlike mammals, chickens don’t produce urine. All excrement leaves their bodies as solid feces, which helps keep litter dry.

By far the most commonly used litter is wood shavings, sold in feed stores, or scrounged from woodworkers. Wood shavings have a pleasant smell, are amazingly absorbent, and don’t pack down. Sawdust also works well but is dusty. Chickens stir it up and dust settles on anything in the coop. Straw is another common bedding. It’s inexpensive but not nearly as absorbent as wood chips. Straw mats down and is harder to shovel out than chips. Dry leaves can be used to make effective litter. They’re free but only available in the fall and tend to break down into dust rather quickly.

Litter must stay dry to remain odor free. Four to six inches of dry wood shavings easily last six months or more before it needs to be changed. Droppings become incorporated into the shavings, as the chickens stir it. About every six months you can scoop the old litter out of the coop with a shovel (a snow shovel works well) and replace it with fresh chips. Used bedding can be either composted or a thin layer can be worked into garden soil to provide nutrients and water absorbency.

When litter gets wet, usually when a waterer leaks or tips over, it’s essential to immediately remove the soggy shavings and replace them with fresh dry ones. Otherwise, they will soon smell.

Chickens love to dust themselves and will readily fluff litter into their feathers. Following a brief dust bath the birds are as fresh as a human emerging from a shower, and as the dust works between their feathers it discourages parasites.

Scoop from the Coop

Tag: dust bath

A dirty way to keep poultry clean!

Proper Bedding for Chickens