Dust bath

A dust bath is a natural chicken behavior where a bird digs a shallow depression in dry dirt, sand, or ash and fluffs the loose material deep into its feathers and skin, then shakes it back out again. It looks unusual to new keepers the first time they see it, but it is a completely normal, self-maintained way for chickens to manage external parasites and skin oil.

The fine dust works its way down to the skin, where it dries out and smothers mites and lice that would otherwise thrive in warm, oily feathers, and it also helps absorb excess preen oil that can build up over time. Dry, loose dirt or sand works well on its own, and some keepers mix in a small, careful amount of wood ash or diatomaceous earth, though heavy use of very fine powders can irritate a bird's respiratory system if overdone.

Access matters most in wet climates or during winter, when frozen or muddy ground gives chickens nowhere dry to bathe in. A common mistake is providing no covered dust bath area at all in a rainy or snowy run, which tends to show up later as a heavier mite and lice load on the flock than keepers with a dedicated dry spot usually see.