Peeing on dustbaths

[warmice]

Hi, i know its pretty normal for chins to pee in the dust when they are dust bathing but are there any ways of training them not to do it?

Mitten does that a lot and always ended up rolling in her own pee and poor laffy who has to roll in her pee too. Instead of cleaning themselves, they are making themselves more dirty!! :wacko:

 

[tunes]

How long do you leave the dust bath in? I've only usually found pee in the dust bath if I forget the pan in there or leave it in for an excessively long time.

A reptile scoop works really great for sifting out the pee and poop left behind in a dust bath. I usually end up recycling my dust at least once.

 

[Riven]

I shift all of my dust out with a big strainer/colander deal and usually use it at least twice for breeders, depending on how it looks when they get done, then it goes outside and the chickens dust in it until it's gone!

The dust shouldn't be left in, just put in for about 10 minutes or so. They dust get out, take it out. If you're bored put it back in in about 5 minutes... they'll act like they hadn't seen it in a week again. Works great for getting those oilier chins looking good again!

 

[warmice]

Hi all! Thank you for the quick replies! I don't normally leave the dust bath for a long period of time. Around 10 minutes max?

What puzzles me greatly is she always thinks that her dust bath is like her pee pan or something! And the thing she is pee-pan trained too without the dust bath that is!

 

[Rickman]

I've been using the 1 gallon pickle jars for quite a while now, and another benefit besides cost is if they pee in it, it clumps and sticks to the glass, somewhat.
I just take a paper towel, rotate the jar and wipe it out, leaving the clean dust! Works for me!!

 

[Brittney]

I use a glass fish bowl and even if I leave it in and watch them, Mr. Andrew finds the need to pee in it..... sigh... I just take it out and sift it... acts like kitty litter and clumps, throw out the clump and put it back in for them to finish.

 

[warmice]

I see.. I'm using the chin's bath house thingy. The dust will clump and stick at the bottom too. So I still don't have much problem with that. The problem is when she happily pee and roll on it and then invites Laffy to roll on her pee that I'm frustrated about. =(
Its like they are never clean!!
Is there any way that I could do to "train" her not to pee in the bath house?

 

[Brittney]

Not really. They pretty much go whenever. Best thing you could do is just watch them when they dust. If they pee in it, immediately take the dust out, sift it, and wipe the bottom, and then give them their dust back. Once they pee, they are good for a while and can continue to dust in clean dust instead of pee. I know it sounds like a pain, but chins will be chins.

 

[Dustbunnies]

I'd try to give them a dust bath right after you have seen her pee in the litter pan!

 

[Bethany]

Maybe get a dustbath that is not enoclosed so she will not be as inclined to sit in it. At least then you could shoo her out for the other to get a bath.

 

[warmice]

Thanks for the great inputs! Now I have a clearer picture of how to react and I'm definitely going to try all the above methods. As it doesn't feel good to see your babies rolling merrily in their own pee and I'm gonna stop this disaster from happening again! Haha

 

[Jenn]

Most of the time my chin only pees in her dustbath if I forget to take it out right away. But she did go right in recently and peed in it. I gently chastised her for such inappropriate, action, lol, and cleaned it out. I guess when you gotta go, you gotta go!

 

[mishellyshel]

lol jenn!! that same thing happend to me this morning! my chins dustbaths are in the bathroom (playroom), so i guess he figured he was in the "right" room!!