Cats and dust baths...

[UKchooks]

Hi,

Yesterday I made a nice dust bath for my chickens' coop. It's a large plastic container which I sunk into the ground and filled with sand and diatomaceous earth. But of course my cat has decided it's a giant litter tray for his personal use! As soon as I let the chickens out to free range this morning, he was in there and digging around in it. Does anyone know of any ways I can repel cats from doing their business there (it's not just mine - my neighbours have loads of cats who are frequently hanging around) without harming or repelling the chickens?

Thanks

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You could cover it while your birds are out.

 

[UKchooks]

You could cover it while your birds are out.

I could... but the chickens wander in and out of the run as it's the biggest area of shelter in the garden (I put a tarp over the run for shelter) and there's nowhere else for them to dust bathe - most of the garden is mud with all the rain we've been having! I was thinking along the lines of some dried herbs or something that I could sprinkle on the sand, that cats wouldn't like the smell of but the chickens wouldn't mind - but I don't know if there is anything like that, lol!

 

[UKchooks]

Would it be safe to sprinkle some dried rosemary and/or lavender in the dust bath?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It should be fine, I don't think it will deter a cat, but give it a go.