How much dust?

I was wondering if any of you have noticed if your chins prefer to dust in a very small amount of dust vs a dense amount. I have a dustbath for Tink and I put a good quantity of dust in it. She'll roll around like crazy a few times and that's it. Is that a normal amount of time? It seems like some of you have chins that spend a lot more time in their dustbaths. This leads me to thinking that maybe I am putting too much in her dustbath. If there is dust spilled onto the floor, it is a very thin layer, and she will be drawn to it. She will scratch at it and try to lay in it. So has anyone noticed, do chins prefer a thin layer of dust or a thick layer? Or does it even matter?

(I always wonder about the dummest things! )

I've wondered the same thing as well! Ferdinand seems to love a ton in his dust bowl- I think he likes the flurry of dust thrown out it looks like he looks for it when there isn't a ton of dust in his bowl. Then, even if he's done with his bath and hasn't touched it for a little and I take it out, he goes to the layer of dust on the floor and start trying to roll in that!

They are such doofuses!

I use a 1 cup measuring cup. I dump it out and change it once a week, sometimes sooner. Now my question is, do people let there chins share bath houses? or should they each have there own? I use the same bath house for both of my chins, at different times of course

I think it depends on your chins. Some fight over the bath house, others don't. And I think those caged seperately should have seperate bath houses as well (according to what I've read, as to not pass on any fungus/sickness they may have to a different chin). My two girls love hopping in together.

my boys LOVE their dustbaths! my one chin will just dust & dust himself until there is none left in his cage.........BUT i also leave their baths in their cage as a sort of place for them to get away. I usually give put the dust in at night and in the mornnigs when i notice poop in there i empty it but leave the container in there. my once chin who will not sleep in a hammock or fleece tube will actually sit in there and i think he falls asleep. my other chin only goes in there to dust and poop of course.
they are separated so they do not share.

You should give each one a different house so as not to spread any illnesses that may occur. I would do that, but with 110 chins it is not possible. I use one dust house per 5 cages and pray we don't get fungus! At least it will not spread to the whole herd is my theory.

Use however much you want to put in. They'll stay clean with just a small amount on the floor, but do love a nice deep container full of it.

A friend of mine used to use fishbowls and fill them 1/3 of the way up. She'd let them roll for a bit, then take a sifter and sift out the poos and it would be good as new.

I did that for awhile, then went to cake pans as my herd expanded. Then did what Chantel does, one pan per two or three cages. Now I just put a TBS amount (blue cloud) or 1/4 cup (granular PDZ) in the bottom of the cages when I clean once a week and they go to town.

Spoof said:

Use however much you want to put in. They'll stay clean with just a small amount on the floor, but do love a nice deep container full of it.

Click to expand...

I agree as well. I just put in enough to cover the bottom of the candy jar I use.

Ehhh...I use a couple tablespoons in my pans at a time, they roll around like maniacs in it and seem to get dusted pretty well. At this point using too much dust is a concern because it does get rather expensive with the dozens upon dozens of little dusters I use with my guys.

I don't think that there is a correct answer to this. Just use what works for you. And, try to find a duster that doesn't allow them to fling their dust absolutely everywhere! I agree though, they love a nice deep cushion of dust at the bottom of the duster...maybe because they don't have to work as hard to get thoroughly powdered?

My bowls have about 1/2 cup of dust in them, and they each have their own bowl. They get dusted once or twice a week. When you only have one or two chins, it isn't quite as expensive or time consuming to deal with.

I have a dustbath for Tink and I put at least a cupfull of dust in it. When she rolls around in it like a maniac, she makes quite the dustcloud. I was wondering if this dustcloud is bothersome to them, and if a smaller amount of dust would be better since a dustbath isn't as well ventillated as an open container.

They get 2-3 baths a week in a shared house with one cup of dust for ten minutes. Since it is summer they have been getting closer to three baths each week.

But do you think the dustcloud that rises from their rolling around is bothersome to them and would make for a shorter bathing session? And would a smaller amount of dust for them to roll in make less of a cloud, therefore being less bothersome, and making for a longer bathing session? Or does it even matter how long they bath, as long as they get some dust on their coat?

I put about a cup of dust (got Blue Cloud now, woot) in the dusting container and the boys hop around in it every night. It's the first thing they do when they bolt from their cage. I also sift the poops out before they go into their dust house again and it really makes the dust last longer and is a lot easier than handpicking the poops out and clumps if there are any.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__gkjSUzb3yU/SArT8JNRE0I/AAAAAAAADSE/kBC8LTIPOuc/s400/sieve.jpg