This morning Butterscotch was having a dust bath in the new soil, from the plant pot, that we put in the run yesterday. She was surrounded by feathers. I wondered if she had chosen the new soil as it wasn’t so dry as the rest of the run and would help to get rid of her loose feathers.
Speckles watched her while standing in another dust hole.
Butterscotch in a dust bath surrounded by feathers
Butterscotch twists
Butterscotch turns, while doing her impression of a feather duster
That feels better
She looks such a mess and it me amused how Speckles couldn’t seem to take her eyes off her and her feet have disappeared into the dust hole she is standing in.
That’s got to feel better having shed some of those loose feathers.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Oooh that looks worse than it is but she seems to have enjoyed it.
The funny thing is that although she is losing masses of feathers she doesn’t actually look that bad until she got in the dust bath. Then because they fluff up and show their undersides suddenly she looked a complete mess. I am sure she will have felt better for it though.
If you have the option to take slow motion videos with your phone, try it with a vigorous dust bath. I shot one of my Orpington and it still amazes me. The feathers look like endless waves, dancing and rippling. And that is all you see. Her head is not visible at all!
I am not that technical but it is amazing watching them dust bath. I often think that anyone who doesn’t know chickens would think they are dying when they almost turn themselves inside out. We know though, that are loving it.