Can I give my week old babies a tray of dirt to scratch around in?

I say yes. I even think that you can take them outside if the temps are high enough. That's what momma would do... right?

I bring my little ones into a little pen and I stay and watch over them. They start out all hyper and after about 1/2 hour they are really mellow

Then I bring them back into their indoor pen and they sleep for a bit.

 

I started bringing in a bit of sandy dirt from my driveway at a week old. They LOVED it. Today I pulled up a clump of weeds, dirt and all, and threw that in for them to check out. The carnage from that is strewn about the brooder with reckless abandon! Dead dandilions everywhere...

 

They can have some grass and dirt. It helps to build their immune system to be exposed to the earth.

 

Yes you can.

 

Is it okay if they eat the dirt? I thought they would just scratch around and peck at it. Had no idea they would devour the whole darn thing in seconds.

 

I took a sharp knife out and cut them some turf before they were a week old and they played in it. NO problem.

 

How about play sand? Can I mix that with some dirt and let them have at it? Mine are a week old on Monday.

thanks!

 

I've always given our chicks in the brooder clumps of sod, larger rocks, sticks, acorns, flowers and even sand to play around with. They'd be doing it outside anyway. Good luck.