Chickens digging big hole

[dandread]

Wondering why other three chickens that are out much more not doing this. But I think I might know the answer. They don’t have any parasites because doing some free ranging.

I did notice that with the three digging (that normally don’t free range) one looked like it was doing gentle picking on another as if cleaning it’s wings.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Wondering why other three chickens that are out much more not doing this. But I think I might know the answer. They don’t have any parasites because doing some free ranging.

I did notice that with the three digging (that normally don’t free range) one looked like it was doing gentle picking on another as if cleaning it’s wings.

Personally I would think these three are more interested in the dust bathing due to not free ranging regular. Your others may often dust bath but not so dramatically due to it being available at all times. Do you have a dust bath in their run/pen for the 3 when they are confined?

 

[Dawnclucks22]

They’re dust bathing, which is totally normal chicken behavior and nothing to be worried about. They will sometimes excavate a lot of dirt.

I agree. Sometimes they try to find new spots and dig deeper and it just becomes a big mess!

 

[ChickNanny13]

I learned that they can dig REALLY DEEP! The last girls (2RIR & 2EE) I had dug up my manicured yard & plants so bad, they had to go to my girl friends farm. Swore off chickens, yea right

Hubby built me a covered enclosure (8x12x7) that I put a huge dog house in for a nest box. Keep the 4 BOs I now have confined; they get "guilt treats" - grass clippings, lettuce, strawberries, scratch, mealworms.... Hubby also made me a mobile run that I put them in when I need to work in their RC.

 

[dandread]

Dust bath in run-no. I need to read up on that.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Your free rangers are proably dust bathing somewhere. Mine go up in the woods.

 

[dandread]

Because of losing one chicken I keep an eye on the chickens the whole time. Our fenced yard is small so I would see them doing this.

My relaxation is to watch the chickens while doing work in the computer. Sometimes I get nothing done, too busy watching their behaviors.

 

[lissalischicks]

My girls dig up everything. They dig for bugs and dustbathing. They have ruined a lot of the landscape and killed my bushes. I usually go and cover the hole when it gets big. The deepest hole I had was about 6 to 8 inches.

 

[aart]

They can certainly dig.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/excavation-by-birds-a-word-of-warning.1086535/