How to set up the best, effective dust bath?

[Missi]

Okay guys...what do I need for their bathing/parasite control needs? Do I use a pan, or...?

 

[TheRealTimShady]

i used a circle cake pan for a long time, only problem is i had to add new sand everyday b/c they would kick it all out....best thing would be something with say, 3 inch high walls, you can either make it, use a box...just something they have to climb into to keep the sand where its at

 

[Missi]

Now what kind of sand & is there a mite-killing type of sand? I don't think my bobs have mites but just as a preventative because I would have a heart attack if I ever saw mites on them.

 

[TheRealTimShady]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5285804#p5285804 last photo in that post(you can see how tall the sides are, birds can still get in it fine)

thats the best example i can find for sand box setup.


as far as the mites, look under the wing, if you see them then you have an issue, if not i wouldn't worry about it. I am assuming you keep your cage fairly clean, you shouldn't have to worry about mites. I buy the 50lbs bags of play sand at home depot for about 4 bucks each once a month for my birds and they love it.

(if they do get mites, DE is the best thing for it, mix some in the sand and it usually solves the issue)

 

[shelleyd2008]

For coturnix I've used aluminum roasting pans (the kind you get for a few dollars around the holidays), plastic dish pans, and square cake pans. I've used cardboard boxes a few times but those tear up pretty easily. Right now my coturnix have dog food bowls, the ones at Wal-mart for $1 with the wide base so they don't tip over.

Button quail get a sandwich-sized gladware bowl.

Use sand as the dusting material and mix some sevin dust (like you'd put in your garden) to help with mites.

 

[Stellar]

I use plastic shoe boxes and plastic kitty litter pans

 

[Missi]

Thanks y'all! Didn't know if I needed anything special or not. I'm thinking of purchasing a big decorative glazed ceramic plant pot saucer since I can use anything!

Something like this that I used for one of my tortoises:

...or this:

...but obviously larger. Or...would they totally kick the sand out too quickly?

 

[quailmale]

In my grow out pens I use a concrete mud mixing tub about 2 ft x 18 inch x 8 inchs deep, it's a ball to watch them when I have let the sand run out when I put more in there all 115 of them try and get into it at the same time, they will be so tight that all they can do is stand upright, it's funny to watch.

 

[thekid]

I get a little plastic thing that they sell at walmart about a foot long and 6 inches wide. And put sand in then DE

 

[rittert3]

Can you use sevendust instead of DE in the dust bath? will it hurt them if they eat it?