Chicken throwing dirt and burying herself

[Weve3Chickens123]

I 've seen my young hens getting dust baths by scratching a hollow area and sitting in it and kinda "scootching" around in it, but today one of them lay out sideways and then almost on her back and kicked dirt up and onto herself like she was trying to bury herself! She rolled her head down into the dirt and I thought she was having a fit. She kept on like this until I went into the run with them then she got up like nothing happened. The others have never done this... is it normal?

 

[zengrrl]

Probably trying to stay cool, I was at a farm yesterday and the chickens were all laying in deep holes with water in the very bottom. Its def been a heat wave.

 

[ErinG]

Sounds normal to me

 

[Weve3Chickens123]

Thanks! I kept telling myself she was "dirt -bathing but it just didn't look right,,she was twisting around so much more than I had ever seen any ofthem do... and she looked a mess when she got up!!

I appreciate your responses!

 

[hmmcc123]

Yep! Normal! I have a silly girl that does that too! It is funny to watch her try to get down in the dirt as far as she can. lol

 

[Tres Amigas]

My girls all get into the same hole and kick the dirt on themselves and each other. They squirm around and contort themselves until it looks like one big feather pile! When they get out and shake it reminds me of Pig Pen in the Peanuts cartoon! Huge dust clouds.

 

[Wildflower_VA]

I have one that does her dust bathing just like that, plus she scoops up beaks full of dirt, raises her wings and reaches back as far as her neck will go and dumps the dirt over her back and under her wings. If one of her sisters is in front of her, she dumps beaks full of dirt on her back, too. Silly girls!

 

[Weve3Chickens123]

Wow,, I guess mine isn't the only "wild and crazy girl", LOL!
I sure do love chickens.... Loads of entertainment!!

 

[HHandbasket]

Quote:
Yep, my hens do it all the time. My yard is riddled with "dust holes" where they get in, roll on their backs, their sides, upside down, right side up, like pigs rolling in mud! It's hilarious to watch them do this!

If it's not normal, then my chickens are as abnormal as yours are! LOL!

 

[lizage]

One of my hens (of 14) do this as well. The others will "gingerly" dust bathe, but my one girl goes to town like she's having fits!! It's the best source of entertainment around!!