baking soda

[cottagechick]

I have been wanting to bathe my chicks...but don't want to actually get them wet...because I can't find my blow dryer after the move..I was thinking in bed last night (about how to bathe my chicks...I know...

) Would letting them use baking soda as a dust bath help? I use it to clean and deodorize everything else it seems... And problems with this idea?

 

[GoldDogsMom]

how old are they...and...do they REALLY need a bath?

 

[cottagechick]

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WELL probably not...but they don't smell as good as they did when they were brand new (they are three weeks old today - and they don't smell as good as my pullets outside...they are in a spare bedroom split between a large bird cage and a plastic tub. There are two lf in one and five bantams in the other (pecking issues) I am have had some complaints that the room is starting to smell less than spring fresh...so I am going to clean their area again today so that the complaints don't get so bad that I have to move them outside this soon. But since they also smell less than spring fresh I thought it might help to actually "bathe" them as well.

 

[GoldDogsMom]

Mine are almost 3 wks too! I gave them a dish of sand to bathe in and they loved it! THEY don't smell bad...I have them on pine chip bedding that I change frequently and that can get stinky quick! I have 12 all together!

 

[cottagechick]

mine are on hay. And I have changed it about six times in the three weeks I have them... I wouldn't say they smell BAD...but if you hold them close and sniff them they definitely aren't as fresh as before... ;-) I did give them sand when I noticed one of them trying to take a dust bath in the hay.

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[CityGirlintheCountry]

Right around the 3 week mark chick poop changes smell. Maybe it just gets bigger. Dunno. Either way, I usually can make it to between 3 and 4 weeks old before I can't stand it anymore and I boot them outside. They definitely go from being cute and sweet to being stinky, dusty little boogers.

 

[hennyannie]

Get some of the pellet type bedding and moisten it really good. Put it in a shallow pan for the to dust in.It smells great and mine love to roll around in it when it is fresh.

 

[rpchris]

Mine are 3 weeks old. I gave them a box of sand with some DE and baking soda mixed in. They roll around in it and dust bathe and they smell fine.

You just need to use a box with sides that are high enough to keep the pine shavings out and the sand in otherwise you'll end up with a box of dusty shaving and a brooder full of sand. I don't know how they do it but they do.

Edited to add photo.

 

[Cosmopolis Chick]

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It can't be good in their eyes or lungs.

 

[Judy]

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But then, neither is DE.

Here, they'd go outside.