I remember the first time I ever saw one of my chickens take a dust bath. I had no idea what a dust bath entailed, but there she was, sprawled on the ground, throwing her body upside-down and sideways, furiously flapping her wings and shaking up the dirt.
At first it was alarming, and I thought she’d been stung by a bee or infested with fleas. But as she settled into a cloud of dust, I realized she was happy as a clam at high tide. Or a kid in a candy store. Or… a chicken in a dust bath. (That’s got to be a saying somewhere!)
Dust baths are the chicken equivalent of a shower (with a little yoga in between). It might seem counterintuitive to bathe in dirt (especially when we humans are always trying to wash off our dirt), but to a chicken, a shallow pit of dry, dusty mulch (or sand or ash) in which she can roll around is pure indulgence. It’s kind of like coating a sugar donut.
I’ve written about the chicken dust bath before, but to fully appreciate the ritual, a video is the next best thing to seeing it in person. I can just picture Iman, my Golden Laced Cochin, relishing the dirt as if she were rolling around on a black sand beach in Hawaii.
8 Comments
theGardenBetty
June 29, 2014 at 3:00 pmIt’s the chicken equivalent of a shower, with a little yoga in between. Video: Watch a Chicken Take a Dust Bath http://t.co/HOkT1zWPQK
theGardenBetty
June 28, 2014 at 9:01 amIt’s kind of like coating a sugar donut, but to a hen, it’s a spa. Video: Watch a Chicken Take a Dust Bath http://t.co/aBaH5w3yzU #poultry
RW
June 27, 2014 at 7:16 pmThe first time I saw our chicken dust bathing I thought she had been attacked by something and was hurt. I ran to get my husband and he just looked at me like I was crazy. 🙂 They can contort in all kinds of positions getting the dirt where they want it. Now I love to see them do it, it’s chicken bliss for sure:)
Linda Ly
July 2, 2014 at 2:52 pmThey are so hilarious to watch! I call it chicken TV.
theGardenBetty
June 27, 2014 at 6:00 pmSettling into a cloud of dust is like going to the spa. Video: Watch a Chicken Take a Dust Bath http://t.co/YSJCMkI8Su #homesteading
theGardenBetty
June 27, 2014 at 12:00 pmChicken rituals that every flock owner looks forward to. Video: Watch a Chicken Take a Dust Bath http://t.co/ag9Ff3sDRZ #backyardchickens
theGardenBetty
June 27, 2014 at 6:02 amOne of the joys of raising backyard chickens! Video: Watch a Chicken Take a Dust Bath http://t.co/8wbbVe2YtX #poultry #homesteading
theGardenBetty
June 26, 2014 at 8:40 pmBlogged on Garden Betty: Video: Watch a Chicken Take a Dust Bath http://t.co/pudZnnybdw