Dust batheing ingredients??

[Annalyse]

My flock never used a designated area to dust bathe they just dig holes everywhere and start batheing. My question is what can I put down for them to bathe in? There run is dirt and right now I’m treating them for mites. (We have a rat that we can’t get rid of and I’m thinking that’s how they got them). I’ve been using DE for them to bathe in but what else can I add to their dirt to help them out more?

 

[Logar]

Just plain old loose dirt is perfect for them. Dry topsoil is another good option. DE is much too loose for them to dust bathe in comfortably. It is also a respiratory irritant so it isn’t good to have in substantial quantities.

 

[Jener8or]

Maybe some play sand, wood ash, or peat moss? I have also used that garden sulfur, too. Most of the time I just let them use plain dirt, in fear that the finer materials or what I add might be risky to their respiratory system, but if you know they already have mites, then adding something might benefit them more and outweigh the risks.

 

[Debbie292d]

I'd just keep a sprinkling bit of the DE in the dirt, and wood ash if you have any, every week or so in all the places. We're making them one around a tree they seem to like.

I would also sprinkle Permethrin powder in the coop and nest boxes. You can dust your chickens with that too. That's what most use to kill mites.

Here's a thread on rats. This guy is good, and serious, and if you're up to it, you'll get rid of it.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rat-control-the-video-series.1337456/

 

[aart]

My flock never used a designated area to dust bathe they just dig holes everywhere and start batheing. My question is what can I put down for them to bathe in? There run is dirt and right now I’m treating them for mites. (We have a rat that we can’t get rid of and I’m thinking that’s how they got them). I’ve been using DE for them to bathe in but what else can I add to their dirt to help them out more?

DE is not going to get rid of mites, no matter where you put it.
Read this carefully:
Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008

 

[Sally PB]

In "the old days," one of the treatments for mites and lice was powdered sulfur. You can mix that into the dust bath easily.

But you need to read about how to get rid of them in the coop as well as on the birds. A dust bath, no matter what's in it, won't take care of the mites in the coop.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My flock never used a designated area to dust bathe they just dig holes everywhere and start batheing. My question is what can I put down for them to bathe in?

For thousands of years the median of choice for dust bathing was dirt. Whether that was mostly sand, mostly clay, or somewhere in between, dirt. You can add whatever you wish, different people have different opinions, but my opinion is that dust from dirt is the best thing for them to dust bathe in.

There run is dirt and right now I’m treating them for mites.......I’ve been using DE for them to bathe in but what else can I add to their dirt to help them out more?

Some people believe that DE will get rid of mites and lice on chickens. I've read how DE is used commercially to treat insects in grain, not to treat mites or lice on chickens. I've also read that humans should wear breathing protection if they are working around food grade DE.

I do not use DE. For mites or lice I identify which mite I'm working with and treat accordingly. Different ones require different treatments.