Chick digging itself in soil?

[lyndatu]

Hello

I let my chickies free-range today. They look happy destroying our crops catching the bugs and running around my sprained leg

. A few minutes later, after drinking the waterer I brought down, they all sit. Then, a chick is shaking it's butt on the soil and covering herself in the soil! She's getting dirty but she likes it. Then, as usual, the others will do it. What are they doing?

Thanks in advance!

 

[TerrasCritters]

They are taking a bath!!
Chickens LOVE to dust and take baths in the dirt!

 

[lyndatu]

Oh, so that's dust-bathing!

It's my first time to see them do that!

Thanks!

 

[TerrasCritters]

Yeppers, they are grooming themselves.

Chinckens instinctivly dust themselves to keep clean and to rid themselves of external parasites, which they dislodge by pulling feathers through there beaks while grooming.

 

[bantymum]

Yes, a gool old dustbath is wonderful for them, everyone should have a sandpit in their runs for this.
Ashes from the fireplace are very popular in the dirt as long as it is fine and powdery.

 

[jjthink]

It's so much fun to watch, isn't it? Especially on nice days (which we won't have for awhile) when they bask in the sun dustbathing in contorted positions looking for all the world like they are dead but they are just in bliss

JJ

 

[SpottedCrow]

The first time that I saw Tom, one of my first chickens, dustbathing, I thought that she was having convulsions and ran out screaming her name...she was disgusted with me interrupting her.

 

[TerrasCritters]

From Gail Damerow's book
Dusting in ashes, sulfur, or other chemicals involves a trade off - chickens are highly susceptible to respiratory problems, and inhaling exotic materials makes matters worse.

To make the ashes not be so airborn maybe you can mix them with sand / dirt to hold the smaller dust down.

 

[Smitty's Farm]

They were at the chicken day spa!

 

[paganfish]

They do the dusting to keep mites/lice at bay, also. I think I heard that the dusting smothers mites/lice. The ashes are extra help with the mite/lice problems.

That's what folks did in the old days to keep the mites/lice away-throw some ashes in their runs. Odd, huh?