First, she rakes up a shallow pit with her beak or claws and then nestles her booty right in the center.
She proceeds to stretch, scratch, toss, and fling the dirt all over her body, deep in between her feathers, over and over again until every surface is covered in dirt, sand, soil, mulch, whatever she’s lying in.
She then puffs up her feathers and shakes herself off, and repeats the ritual. If you have two or more chickens dust bathing together, it’s quite a joy to watch them throw dirt on each other and wallow in their pits.
Dust baths can be as simple as a 10-minute detour in a chicken’s day, or they can last hours through a lazy afternoon in the sun. The abrasive action of dust bathing helps rub grime off their skin and remove mites and parasites.
Once a chicken is done cleaning herself, she’ll vigorously flap her wings and shake from comb to feet, enveloping herself in a cloud of dust.