How Often Do Chickens Need A Dust Bath?

Jan 04, 2024

How often do chickens need a dust bath?

How often do chickens need a dust bath?

I love this.

How often do chickens need a dust bath?

And I guess it is a question that needs to be answered.

Unlike ourselves that shower with water, the good old dust is the answer for your backyard chickens.

Let’s talk about it then.

How Often Do Chickens Need A Dust Bath?

I don’t know about you…

But if you have spent every waking hour of the day with your chickens, then I am sure this answer could be answered.

But seems as though we all have a life, just as your chickens do, we can not know for sure if an individual chicken has a dust bath every day.

And I am sure they don’t.

So to answer the question of.

Do chickens dust bath every day?

I would say not.

Even every second day…

Upon watching my backyard chickens, it has a lot of factors at play here…

I have never seen one of my chickens have a dust bath on a cloudy dingy day.

The times I see them having a dust bath is on the days where it is fine and sunny.

Yes, I think that they like to take their dust baths when it’s sunny.

And I can’t blame them.

I would too…

If I was a chicken.

Which I am not…

Do Chickens Need To Take Dust Baths?

That is like asking us if we need to take a shower…

There is a reason for chickens taking dust baths.

A dust bath helps keep your chickens clean and free of parasites.

See also Why Silkie Chickens are the Perfect Addition to Your Backyard Flock

Yes…

These pesky parasites again…

They just never give up and know when they are not welcome.

The dust gets into the chicken’s feathers and therefore, gives the parasites a hard time.

How would you like dirt or sand thrown into your face?

Well, the parasites seem to not like it either.
And vacate their host, for a while anyway.

Then the dust bath comes again to make the parasites move on once again.

And I would say that this grit makes the chickens feel better.

It seems to separate the chicken’s feathers well, being dry.

Not that they do not take their time pruning their feathers anyway.

I am sure it is also therapeutic.

A healthy and good smelling chicken.

Quote me on this…

Good smelling chicken!

Does need to take a dust bath on a regular basis to keep themselves and their feathers mite free.

The Chicken Dust Bath

Have you ever seen a chicken having a dust bath?

It is something to see.

They dig their way, making a hollow into the dirt if that is what you have in your chicken run if you do not have a dust bath for chickens yourself.

Yes…

You can get a dust bath for chickens at the shops or online.

Anyway, they make a hollow and down they go, sweeping their neck along the dirt, the flurry of feathers.

And if any other chicken is in range, they are deluged with a shower of flying dust right on them.

They learn quickly enough that getting dust in their face is not the nicest thing.
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Now, these dust baths are quite the shape when your chicken is finished.

It might be a slight hollow, but with time your chickens frequent this same hollow and with numerous dust baths.

The hollow gets bigger and the dust gets finer.

The downside is I have mentioned in a previous article is how they sometimes pick the place right next to their chicken fence.

And as they dig their way down, it makes a hole slightly under the chicken wire.

Not enough for your chickens to make an escape.

But for predators to seek out and find their way in.

I have often had to get stones and block up the outside.

Or to find out that the chickens have made the hole deeper or bigger on one side.
The more stones are piled up.

So it is a good idea if you do dig the chicken wire for your chicken run deeper than you think is necessary.

So, when a person says to you…

”Do Free Range Chickens need a dust bath?” or ”How often do chickens need a dust bath .”

You can be assured to answer them correctly.

”How often do chickens need a dust bath? I can answer that for you…”
And answer away.