This helps them to keep their feathers clean, control oil on the skin and feathers. The most important thing that dust baths do is they help keep away parasites, like mites and lice.
The reasons why chickens do this and why it’s so effective is because dirt helps to:
Remove excess oil and loose debris
Keeps them cool in warm weather
Remove lice and other parasites
Is a fun social activity that they clearly enjoy.
A frequent question we ran across in our research was “Why do chickens like to dust bath?”.
To get rid of mites and lice, itching, feather lossanemia, and death.
Another popular query is “Why do chickens rub dirt all over their body?”.
She then proceeds to rub the dirt all over her body getting it deep into her feathers. There are a couple of benefits for chicks doing this; one is that the dust absorbs excess moisture and oils on their skin. The other is that it kills or disturbs lice hiding out in their coats.
How do you dust bathe a chicken run?
Rosemary and mint are also said to help. If you want to turbocharge your dust bathing area then lay some sand down in your chicken run. You don’t have to get high-quality sand, builder’s sand is fine. This is particularly helpful if you have clay-based soils that aren’t naturally loose enough to use for dust bathing.
I discovered these are: Play sand – the consistency of sand is perfect, and it’s coarse enough to run through their feathers and remove dirt, lice, debris, etc. Diatomaceous Earth – Diatomaceous earth or DE as it’s also called is like the gold standard of sand bath materials. Ash – Chickens love rolling around in ash, it’s the perfect consistency for them., and more items.
Wood ash makes a fantastic addition to a chicken dust bath., and diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth, the home and garden-owner’s miracle remedy, can also be added to a chicken dust bath. A few additional things to keep in mind are: peat moss, sand, dried herbs, or everybody loves a good herbal remedy!.
Do chickens bathe in water?
Chickens do not bathe in water, but instead use a dust bath. They have evolved and learned that bathing themselves in dust can do two things for them- remove parasites and excess oil. Dust bathing seems to be relaxing for chickens and is even thought to be a social past time for chickens.