Will chicks 'dust bathe' in pine shavings?

Date sort Score sort
hbwright said:
Phew, I know this is an old thread but first to come up when I did a search. My smallest one started to do this tonight. I was worried because she isn't feathering out as much as the other 2 and has always been slightly smaller. Then I saw her doing this. I thought she was dying and the others were picking on her, but then she gets up, runs around a little and then does it again. I was thinking about separating her until I googled and came across this. Relief!! Poor chicks were probably wondering why I was scolding them.
Click to expand...
I could have written this post! This happened to me tonight and I called in my husband and son because she scared me so bad! She's also my smallest - an 11 day-old GLW.
 
Whew! Me too!! I inherited a small flock of 10 chickens last year in October. This April I purchased a few more....I have 4 three+ week old Rhode Island Reds, 4 two+ week old Barred Plymouth Rocks, and 8 one week old Guineas. One of the RIRs started doing this and was terrified! Never saw this before....I was checking brooder temperature, thought she was having a seizure...I just didn't know!!! So happy to find this post!!!
smile.png
 
Just to keep it going....mine are doing it too and I am thinking that as soon as I can, am gonna replace the shavings with sand in the brooder. Wonder what kind of mess that will be? But I do believe the sand will be easier to clean (according to the posts I have read about sand as bedding)
They will probably freak out on the sand until they get used to it....any ideas or has anyone switched bedding on chicks that are about 4 weeks old?
 
All 10 of mine do it, even the little bantams have started (and omg, is that cute, they are so little!)
 
I may or may not have just freaked my husband out when I told him that I thought one of our girls was having a seizure... then google brought me to this. What a relief for this chicken noob.
roll.png
 
We are new at Chickens. They started this 4 days ago. Once one did it, it was follow the leader. I can't wait until morning to tell my hubby his chickens are not strange, they are just dust bathing. WONDERFUL NEWS. We love our RIR girls and our boy Max. We have one chicken that loves to cuddle she lays her little head under my hair or over my shoulder or arm and will sleep. Oh I LOVE MY SUZIE Q. She does not like other chickens, she prefers people.
 
I thought mine had lost their minds. First night out in the coop. Nervous I would find frozen chickens or some other horribleness. And then they flopped all over the place like they were dying. Glad to know mine aren't completely batty. Thanks everyone for the reassurance. (Hope my chickens aren't reading this, they will surely find some new way to freak me out!).
 

Similar threads

S
Pine shavings and baby chicks question
Replies
9
Views
210
FrostRanger
FrostRanger
HollyParks
Leaky vent?
Replies
1
Views
134
Evadig
Evadig
R
    • Like
Sand/dust bath for the 9 day old chicks?
Replies
6
Views
1K
MIchickenlady
MIchickenlady
J
    • Like
Brooder size and enrichments
Replies
6
Views
576
Tahai
Tahai
Eggcentric NanaJ
7-Week-Old Chick "pine shaving" bathing??
Replies
5
Views
576
Eggcentric NanaJ
Eggcentric NanaJ

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom