How Do Chickens Take a Bath?

First they fill the tub with some hot, steamy water and add their favorite bubble bath. Then they put on some relaxing music, light some candles...

Okay, not really. Chickens actually love taking dirt baths.

If you are raising chickens, they will appreciate a spot to bathe. Any bare spot on the ground will do. The chickens will dig into the dirt, loosening it up, and make a shallow hole. They will flop around in this hole, flinging dirt up into their feathers, and rubbing themselves into the ground.

When my husband and I first saw this behavior, we thought something was wrong with them. Are they having a seizure or something?! No, they are just taking a summer's afternoon bath.

I caught some footage of our girls bathing a couple nights ago:

As you can see, the chickens really enjoy their baths. In my opinion, it is important that they have some loose dirt to bathe in, not only because they clearly love it, but it also keep fleas and other bugs off of them. If you don't have a spot in the yard for them to bathe in, get them some fine sand and put it in a large container. I'm certain they will appreciate it.

And just to show off, here is a quick clip of our newest chick, Polly. She's so darn cute!

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