Do chicks need a bath?

[whillergee]

I have four three-week-old chicks who all seem to be doing just fine; one of them got pooped on today though, and it got me thinking about baths... First of all, should I try to wipe the poo off Miss Delaware with a wet cloth, or does it matter? Also, do chicks/chickens like to flap around in a water bath like wild birds do? They're still happily living in a brooder (which they're quickly outgrowing) under a heat lamp, but I'm wondering if I should put a dish of water in there for awhile for some bath time and then change out the bedding. Every day there's a new question...

 

[canada-goose]

No, chickens don't take water baths. The only bath they like is a dust bath.

 

[mboreham1]

put a tray of sand/soil in there with them, they love it, my chicks would bathe in it all day and night, i woke up one night at 3am and heard rustle, rustle, rustle, i thought the dog got out, nope just 2 barred rocks having a gay old time

 

[whillergee]

Do they need any dust-bath stuff in the brooder before they get out into the real world? I notice them fluffing up in the pine shaving bedding like they're taking dust baths, but I'm wondering if they need anything more than that?

(OK, maybe there's TWO questions every day...)

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote:
I usually sprinkle some DE in with the shavings in the brooder for just such a thing!

 

[whillergee]

Hey, that's a great idea -- thanks for the tip! I'll have to go get some DE soon. Is there any reason not to use it with young chickies? I'm hoping to get a couple of day-old Barred Rocks next week... (thank goodness we can only have six chickens in this city, or I'd be doomed to be overrun with chickens!)

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote:
A friend's silkies had mites really bad, I just mixed DE with poultry dust and not only dusted them with it, but sprinkled it all over in their brooder box. Cleared the mites right up, and they didn't have any problems...I think they were around 3-4 weeks old.