How do chickens make their own dust baths?

[kWEEN_k0BRA]

I hadn’t gotten around to making one yet, but after closer inspection and walking the tree line behind their run, I realized they made their own! Good job chickens!

I tried googling and looking on here out of sheer curiosity, but couldn’t find anything on HOW chickens make their own bath. Maybe my wording for the search wasn’t just right, but everything that came up was just instructions on how to do it for them. It’s a completely different color, and much finer dirt than anything else in the area. I’m in Hamilton County Tennessee, so the soil surrounding us is usually a gritty dark brown or red, fairly moist, and loamy or clay-based. The pile they’ve made is a round patch about 3 feet across, 2-3” deep, light gray in color, and somewhere between sandy and ashy in texture. It even survives the crazy random thunderstorms that temporarily flood the rest of the yard. I haven’t seen any parasites on them, but they have been dropping feathers like crazy the last 2 to 3 weeks, so I’m assuming they may be a little itchy. They’re all about 12 weeks old for reference, and have been seen laying in this little shady spot for the last month, if not a little longer.

I guess I’m just curious on what the process is for them to make their own, I feel it could be very interesting on how they manage to accomplish it themselves. I’d also like to make sure that there’s nothing I could/should add to it if the one they have is working just fine, for now at least. *knock on wood*. This is my first time owning them, and their behavior never ceases to amaze and intrigue me.

 

[springvalley123]

I hope you're able to spend some time watching them with their antics, including their making and taking a dust bath. Just like they scratch the ground with their feet to stir up nice food, they will use their feet a bit to make a dust bath, and kind of wriggle into it with their bodies. Then of course stretch out a wing and leg. It's really fun and relaxing to watch them!

 

[HiEverybirdy]

For whatever reason, watching blissed-out chickens dustbathing is one of the most enjoyable things in the world. And if you do, you'll see how they form their dust craters. They just sort of dustbathe them into existence.

The more they shuffle dust into their feathers, the more dust comes off the ground, leaving behind a dent. If they like the spot, they'll go back again and again, making deeper holes. Ours "maintain" 2-3 dustbath areas at a time for maybe a month before starting new holes elsewhere. It tickles me.

At 12 weeks, yours might be going through their juvenile molts, trading a last round of baby feathers for grown-up feathers. As good a reason as any to take a dustbath, though there are lots of reasons for it, I guess. Ours seem to do it to cool off. It's been a hot summer, and ours are dustbathing more than usual (no external parasite issues to be seen).

I pour water in one small area of the yard during dry weeks, and they alternate from their dry dustbath pits over to the damp ones. Chicken spa.

 

[TooCheep]

They'll tend to scratch out their own if you let them. Over time, they can become fairly broad, multi-chicken holes.

Mine often select rather inconvenient spots. If you are okay with where they've made their own, then just let them go. If not, then you may have to block off the bad dust bath and create ones for them.

That said, the dust baths are very important for their health to hold down insects/mites. They way they react, I call it "spa time".

 

[SandyRiverChick]

When you ask how do the make it.... There is nothing secret or complicated. They are just really good at finding the right place/soil, it was already there you just might not have known it. And then they just create the dip/bowl like shape like explained above - scratching, flapping wings, wiggling around in it. Dropping feathers at that age is about maturing. I wouldn't add anything to what they've already done. Instead I'd work on how to make sure they have a dry bath option in winter if this area will change from protected to wet. Mine really prefer the row they made on their own, protected up against one side of my house with eve's and log that stays dry all year. It doesn't matter what I mix together, I have to let them out of their run every day to get over to it. It's one of the main reason's that mine "free-range." Sounds like you're doing a great job by the way

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum from Louisiana. Glad you joined.

This is my first time owning them, and their behavior never ceases to amaze and intrigue me.

Chickens may be new to you but they've been doing their thing instinctively for thousands of years without help from humans. Things like hatching and raising chicks, laying eggs in nests, setting up flock dynamics, finding their own food, roosting, and dust bathing. The big difference is that they did all that while free ranging. Now we house them in coops and runs which restricts their ability to do some of that. If you have enough room, a high quality of forage, and are willing to take the chances of predators they can still manage most of that on their own. Most of us don't have those circumstances so they may need some help.

If they have access to dirt they can create their own dust bath areas. Even if you have a run covered with some type of mulch like wood chips or straw they may be able to tunnel down and find dirt. You can build a dust bath for them and they might use it or ignore it. You never know what they will do.

Keep observing them. You'll learn things about how they behave and how they put their society together. You'll also learn that not everything you read on this forum is correct for your chickens. We house them and manage them in so many different ways that what works for one person may not work for another. And you'll see things that makes Chicken TV better than anything you'll see on Cable, Antenna, or Satellite.

 

[raingarden]

When they keep scratching in the same spot the soil will dry out more quickly, it becomes a more uniform texture and they get rid of the sticks and rocks. A perfect place for a dust bath.

You can encourage them to use the spot that you choose by laying down a layer of ash or fine sand.

 

[centrarchid]

I take my chickens on day trips multiple times annually as educational tools. They are released at the sites to largely do as they please as people watch. When a bird is interested in dust bathing it looks for some things that I have noticed.

First, location ideally has an unobstructed view around it. Second, soil / dirt is relatively dry. Being in direct sun is particularly important when temperature is low. They seem to prefer finer soil particulates although they can make do with coarse sand. Those in my barn with dig holes in 2" gravel to get down dusty base. Excavation usually starts with bird lying on ground and digging with bill. Then while crouching the feet are used to dig in a manner like used to construct a nest bowl.

Mine also seem to like doing it over ant nest that have the formic acid stink. Ash from burnt wood is really popular too.

 

[kWEEN_k0BRA]

For whatever reason, watching blissed-out chickens dustbathing is one of the most enjoyable things in the world. And if you do, you'll see how they form their dust craters. They just sort of dustbathe them into existence.

The more they shuffle dust into their feathers, the more dust comes off the ground, leaving behind a dent. If they like the spot, they'll go back again and again, making deeper holes. Ours "maintain" 2-3 dustbath areas at a time for maybe a month before starting new holes elsewhere. It tickles me.

At 12 weeks, yours might be going through their juvenile molts, trading a last round of baby feathers for grown-up feathers. As good a reason as any to take a dustbath, though there are lots of reasons for it, I guess. Ours seem to do it to cool off. It's been a hot summer, and ours are dustbathing more than usual (no external parasite issues to be seen).

I pour water in one small area of the yard during dry weeks, and they alternate from their dry dustbath pits over to the damp ones. Chicken spa.

That’sa great idea! It’s been 90° and rain here, so maybe they’ve found their own damp areas. I’m loving the low maintenance so far lol.

 

[kWEEN_k0BRA]

When you ask how do the make it.... There is nothing secret or complicated. They are just really good at finding the right place/soil, it was already there you just might not have known it. And then they just create the dip/bowl like shape like explained above - scratching, flapping wings, wiggling around in it. Dropping feathers at that age is about maturing. I wouldn't add anything to what they've already done. Instead I'd work on how to make sure they have a dry bath option in winter if this area will change from protected to wet. Mine really prefer the row they made on their own, protected up against one side of my house with eve's and log that stays dry all year. It doesn't matter what I mix together, I have to let them out of their run every day to get over to it. It's one of the main reason's that mine "free-range." Sounds like you're doing a great job by the way

That’s a good idea, may have to make one in a tire under a roof somewhere. We are hopefully adding some goats that are accustomed to chickens, hoping I can add that in the lean to. Thank you! I’ve done enough research to make my head spin, and it has definitely paid off.