Monday, July 20, 2009

Nothing like a good dust bath...

When I was researching chicken keeping I read about dust baths. But not once did anyone tell me how funny it would be to watch them actually take a dust bath!
See this planter that my sweet little chickens are in? Not too long ago it contained cucumbers and beets. But between the earwigs and the chickens the vegetables didn't have a chance. So I yanked it all and left the planter open.
Well, the girls promptly found a perfect use for this sturdy raised bed...a bath tub, of course!
Look at this mess of feathers! If you didn't know better, this scene could make you worry.
They weren't too sure about me joining in on their bath time. But they tolerated me. And even let me sit on the edge of "the tub" to take some close-ups.
Eventually, Nellie's modesty got the best of her...she ended her bath a bit sooner than the others.
Look at her face..."Can't a girl get some privacy?" I'm sure that's what she's thinking.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

yep, my chicks are doing the same thing!! they took over my strawberry area. I gave up trying to keep them out of there.

Nancy said...

How funny is that? I enjoy all your chicken antics.

Wren said...

Aren't dust baths the BEST?!?!?! I adore watching them when we put fresh sand in the pen. I've read you can use your fireplace ashes, but I haven't tried it yet. Want to double check before I try it. They have been bathing as of late under the blueberry bushes as I pick. You'll be happy to know that blueberry dust baths yield BLUE PLOPS in the pen yard. Yes, blue.

GREAT pictures. I always think they look like they've been shot...

Anonymous said...

sometimes i feel like your chickens look.

i love your chicken pictures. they are so darn expressive!