A rooster mud tub is a necessity for chickens to maintain their feathers and pores and skin, and finally their well being, in tip-top form. Plus, nothing makes a rooster happier than fluffing her feathers and wriggling in sun-warmed grime. Earlier than you arrange your rooster mud tub, try this listing of dos and don’ts to offer a enjoyable and protected time.

Life or Loss of life within the Hen Mud Tub? – A Private Story

I made a decision to assemble an indoor mud tub for chickens to make use of in the course of the winter when the frozen floor prohibited them from frequent mud baths.

I constructed the DIY rooster mud tub by filling a versatile plastic mixing tub with grime and wooden ash. Their new lodging delighted the hens, and so they fortunately scratched by the soil, on the lookout for tasty morsels.

All was properly till someday when an odd sound got here from my chickens within the barn. I hurried inside to seek out one in every of my Speckled Sussex hens, Kristi, wheezing. I rushed her to the vet, the place they put her on oxygen and did emergency radiographs to find the trigger. The vet recognized her with mud particles in her lungs (in all probability resulting from improper air flow whereas dust-bathing) and gave her lower than a 50% restoration charge.

My vet handled Kristi with a steroid injection and nebulizer remedy and despatched her dwelling with further drugs. After receiving around-the-clock care, Kristi returned to the vet for a follow-up the subsequent day, the place she was given a clear invoice of well being.

After Kristi’s near-death incident, I examined my rooster mud tub setup to make sure the most secure expertise attainable.

Why Do Chickens Have to Mud Bathe?

A rooster wriggling round within the grime could seem soiled, however this conduct is how chickens maintain themselves clear and freed from exterior parasites. As a rooster fluffs its feathers whereas mud bathing, a protecting mud coating settles on the pores and skin, making a mud barrier to stop insect bites.

Permitting chickens to mud bathe in a pure setting decreases bullying and cannibalistic behaviors amongst flock members in chicks and adults. Hen mud bathing is a social occasion that helps construct a robust bond between flock members. This pure conduct additionally reduces stress, permitting your flock to coexist extra harmoniously.

Hen Mud Tub Dos

How you can make a rooster mud tub is simple, however earlier than you start, listed below are a number of issues all dust-bathing areas should have to create a protected and enjoyable enrichment on your flock.

Pure is Greatest: When given the choice, chickens all the time want creating their very own dust-bathing space. Nothing makes a hen happier than scratching by new grass to the grime beneath. So, offering a man-made mud tub in the course of the summer season months the place hens can entry this pure conduct isn’t beneficial. Nonetheless, in winter, when the frozen floor is roofed in snow, chickens will fortunately make the most of any grime you may provide.

Including Dried Herbs: Many herbs work as pure insect repellents, so it appears solely pure to sprinkle some dried herbs within the grime the place your chickens mud bathe. Catnip, dill, fennel, lavender, mint, rosemary, thyme and yarrow are wonderful insect repellents and assist deter different vermin corresponding to mice and snakes.

Open air Solely: Solely permitting chickens to dustbathe open air versus contained in the coop is important for correct airflow to maintain chickens’ airways clear from mud particles.

Refresh the Grime: When utilizing a kiddie pool, versatile mixing tub,or a toddler’s sandbox, the grime ought to be changed with new, clear grime. How typically the grime ought to be changed will range relying on the variety of chickens within the flock and the way often chickens are allowed entry to the realm.

Hen Mud Tub Don’ts

Identical to each dust-bathing house has particular wants, there’s a listing of issues to remain away from when organising the proper space on your chickens. Following the options beneath ought to make sure the most secure expertise on your flock.

Indoor Mud Tub: Even in probably the most ventilated coops, airflow remains to be extra restricted than out within the run. By no means put a rooster mud tub within the coop to stop the chance of mud or grime coming into the airways.

Overlook the Wooden Ash: Wooden ash is usually utilized in rooster mud tub areas. This pure ash has many well being advantages however can irritate a rooster’s delicate airways. To maintain hens’ airways clear whereas offering the well being advantages of wooden ash and charcoal, feed charcoal free-choice such as you would grit or oyster shell.

Keep Away from Fertilizer: When selecting grime for a mud bathing space on your flock, keep away from soil with fertilizer since many include dangerous substances that may trigger sickness or loss of life if ingested. (This rule additionally applies to gardens and lawns.)

Following protected rooster mud tub practices permits your chickens to expertise the intuition of mud bathing, keep freed from parasites and assist to strengthen flock bonds.

This text about rooster mud baths was written for Chickens journal on-line. Click on right here to subscribe.