Why Do Birds Dust Bath?

Dust bath, also called dusting, dirt baths, or sand bathing, are part of a bird’s preening and plumage maintenance that keeps feathers in top condition.

The dust that is worked into the bird’s feathers will absorb excess oil to help keep the feathers from becoming greasy or matted.

The oil-soaked dust is then shed easily to keep the feathers clean and flexible for more aerodynamic flight and efficient insulation.

Dusting can occur anywhere and at any time, however, when a suitable patch of dust or dry dirt is nearby.

We use dirt, sand, pine shavings, and ash from our woodstove for our birds.

My chickens have created wallows in their runs so I just add material to them as needed because they already have favorite spots to dirt bath.

You could use an old tire, or just about anything that will hold your materials and are big enough for your chickens.

Swipe up for more on Why Birds Dust Bath

Chickens on Your Homestead

[{"selector":"#anim-bc84b90a-580b-4508-a7ba-66fd96f43b02","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-257.50001%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ee630b20-a936-440f-b1c5-e6d6d8097cb4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a6fd48cc-765a-476c-9c00-b8b7cf1b64b0","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ef52046d-5f9f-44c6-8737-eb0bca688123","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-257.50001%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":900,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c18a347c-c076-4416-94ed-8fd62d3bce4f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":900,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d739ba7f-f692-4566-a9b9-cd7aa9449301","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":900,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8f253fcb-8d88-44c3-ad99-98f9b7fc5c9f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-353.77353%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-06fae434-d696-4db4-87f1-ffaa230446a8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d05a765a-b34d-4c2f-8d5d-5dc4529339ae","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6d33bc2d-7b4a-41d2-a67c-1b1f16a311bc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-345.87155%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a5f26a1e-eda4-4726-b96d-f1ab7cc8179c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d6e6e091-0dde-4f96-b359-38de957f155b","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":700,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0bb13b60-17a3-447c-9a74-5d54018053cc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-326.05037%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":900,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ed65d2f2-8324-4a94-a80d-4ee112f4f92b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":900,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-85193b86-c695-4ffb-ae9d-db7ac7d45bb8","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":900,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b01d2d8f-ba94-435e-b6a6-dee6e328e924","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d915ab7b-8227-4b43-afa1-6815968238ad","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.87301%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3dfb7562-e1f9-4b77-b12a-a7c8fa2171a8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-100%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bfad2268-fb03-4eea-9776-93f137e178eb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9bd3e9ac-44cf-4f5d-9e68-97c635c75dc2","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ab342ce6-01bf-46a4-857b-7bcd8c02c274","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-100%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-65e9add6-3aac-4b14-9830-c9aacc6e68ed","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bd9b30d6-4fda-4235-b290-b8d650badf97","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":700,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-269fad51-ba3c-4477-9ec6-46606b02dad7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-100%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":900,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ab187131-5ea2-4a20-ac70-1b948a4acb24","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":900,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a214b9c0-94c0-4a8e-b692-e04288f915f6","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":900,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] How Long Do Chickens Lay Eggs? Apple Cider Vinegar for Chickens Why Chickens Lose Feathers

Stories

[{"selector":"#anim-991c25c5-da43-4869-9245-eb6e5398b0b9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":100,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2bfccd58-cd8e-427e-9ebc-4119473301e5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-99.70414%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":100,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c6212e8f-1310-4cfc-86d8-a94caf0080a8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-daa460fb-76f1-4034-a7a0-bf86a74c8f30","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-99.57265%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cd2244c2-e744-45a4-a4d7-05be84ed37d6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-25c0a418-ad2d-4f2d-8175-e4b209018f32","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9072f50e-4d42-4ecd-8539-ec3797b915b0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ed1c88ac-4b57-436d-92b8-5e2d048fb16b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bbd64d7c-907e-4715-9a1e-59ba0747635c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-28614af0-ebe9-41f0-bfa2-7a2445d688f3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-01910a8e-efb4-420e-8e20-aa3616750279","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0ff0b0ff-5611-4ebc-a5df-086404a72f2a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3c906aaa-d239-4365-9e11-a9d99c73af09","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-eb7d8434-e04b-420a-ab07-55e6c32becbf","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ce4dbcc2-01b2-4229-ba5d-478fdc530f9e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-40ad2370-2b01-4ba4-a670-f47061b77235","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-13ad345b-dee5-4e62-ba02-659bbbd7d939","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a922c1e9-3dc0-4ab7-bf10-9262b7375b33","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-56165017-4169-40a9-9a2d-8159293e76c8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Sprouting Lentils for Chickens Sugar Water for Sick Chickens See More See More Tips for Dealing with Broody Hens See More