Hello everyone. I was just curiose if any of your chickens have done this. I have a couple of bantams at home..one is a mille fleur and the other is a white mutt of some sort. Now..the white one is a few months old..and just had all her feathers grow in. I notice that when i put her outside she starts to dig a hole...and then takes a dirt bath in the hole...then she lies on her side and tries to roll on her back. When i eventually put her on her back...she just happily lies there with her legs in the air. Then she rolls over and the process starts all over again. Is it normal for chickens to do this?

-- D of CA (Muhawi@aol.com), November 14, 2001

Answers

What you are interpreting as 'trying to lie on her back' may simply be scratching an itch. Chickens get somewhat hypnotized when you put them on their backs. The two activities are not necessarily related.

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), November 14, 2001.

My chickens all liked to dig holes in the summer and then they would wiggle all in them....

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), November 14, 2001.

I have some NH Reds and two of my hens do this very thing... I thought it strange too - but they just seem to be happy - so I left 'em be...

-- DR (DReece5@excite.com), November 14, 2001.

that is the natural way of killing lice. It reaally works.

-- Elizabeth Quintana (rockshelter@webtv.com), November 14, 2001.

This is totally normal for chickens. All my chickens do this as it is their way of taking a bath as well as getting rid of lice or anything that itches.

-- c.d. (his4ever@mac.com), November 14, 2001.

I notice that mine also take a "dirt bath". Guess it's something just natural for them to do.

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), November 14, 2001.

This is cute!!! My chickens just love their dirt baths. You want to see a sight, watch a turkey take a dust bath. My favorite turkey hen would make a real big project out of it. First one side and then the other and finally she would get up, shake off real hard and make a big cloud and then walk away very sedately.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), November 14, 2001.

Adding a bucket full of hardwood ashes to a known dust bath spot will kill any mites, lice or other external parasites your birds might have. It will also aid in ridding some internal parasites.

-- Buk Buk (bukabuk@hotmail.com), November 14, 2001.

My chickens do it too! I have a mental picture now of my 50+ lb. turkey...Earl..trying to take a dust bath. I have never seen him try. It would be a sight, thats for sure!!!

-- Jenny (auntjenny6@aol.com), November 14, 2001.

It's not just chickens, other birds do it too....

-- MissJudi (jselig@clemson.edu), November 15, 2001.

I've got a mental picture of Earl the 50 pound turkey also. But in my pic , Earl is on the table with stuffing in him.

-- C.A.Cagney (Puttingood@carolina.rr.com), November 15, 2001.

I raise some silkie chickens at my house and all of them take dirt baths. It rids them of lice and dead skin. All they do is find a dirt spot, dig around, lay in their side, and scratch around. They also scratch a bunch of dirt under their wings and "throw it" up into the air. As many as 11 chicks and chickens take a bath at once.

-- Kelli (bingo215@yahoo.com), November 22, 2001.