Chicks and dust bathing

[TheMainException]

My chicks don't seem to really comprehend sand. They stand in the box and peck at it and sort of walk around and then hop out. They're still just investigating.

 

[Hopeful Peacock]

My chicks began to dust bathe in their sawdust. I'm glad I had read that very day on BYC that if your checks suddenly seem to develop seizures, they are really dust bathing!

Anyway, I put a container of sand in their brooder for a couple weeks. They completely ignored it and continue to bathe in the shavings. Good for them anyway, I guess, as I add diatemaceous (sp?) earth to the bedding.

 

[mshirk]

Today was the first time my chicks have attempted dust bathing. They are over 6 weeks old and have been on sand since day one!

In the run I noticed two of them had hollowed a little place in the sand and we laying there looking half-dead with the seizure-like twitch now and again. Good think I had BYC so I knew what it was when it finally happened!

 

[miraclz5]

Wow, my babies are 3 weeks old and they have been dust bathing in their shavings for days and days! Earlier today when we changed the shavings in their brooder....they were having a field day! So hilarious to watch!!!! So funny how just like human kiddos....they are all so different and have their own timetables and rates of development!!! LOL

 

[TheMainException]

Yea! I'm already seeing their different personalities and funny little behaviors. Watching them is so much fun. The way they run around after each other, doing what others do and sparring is hilarious. I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to just use sand for in their brooder completely. Would that be okay? I feel like it would be easier to clean and then I wouldn't have to worry about paper shreds sticking to their feet.

 

[Tool]

I think its time for me to go and get some sand....

 

[GwenDellAnno]

I think its time for me to go and get some sand....

Why does everyone choose sand? I bought a bag of garden soil. That way I figured I can just add it to the garden when the chickens are done with it.... lots of good nutrients there!!​

 

[miraclz5]

I have my brooder box in my living room....and I thought the sand would be a little less messy! Garden soil tends (anyways all the garden soil I have ever pruchased) to have a lot of moisture in it....don't want my chicks looking like the swamp thing! LOL

 

[TheMainException]

Quote:
Why does everyone choose sand? I bought a bag of garden soil. That way I figured I can just add it to the garden when the chickens are done with it.... lots of good nutrients there!!

Garden soil may contain chemicals that I just wouldn't want the chicks to come into contact with at such a young age. Also, I stood around at Lowe's for 15 minutes looking at all their different types of sand and ended up just choosing play sand because the building sand all said it contained silica and shouldn't be breathed in for long periods of time. If play sand does contain it, it hopefully contains less of it. It is a smaller grade of sand tho. Plus, yea, what miraclz5 said. I've got silkies...they won't ever get real feathers and will be more apt to look like the swamp thing throughout their life...so I'd just rather not.

 

[TarheelBirdy]

My little 4-day old Swedish Flower Hen chicks have started dust bathing on the floor of the brooder, it's hilarious. They look like they're break-dancing.