Chicks dusting behavior

[plantoneonme]

Hi all! I'm totally new to chickens and this site. I just love watching the little buggars

The chicks are about 3 weeks old (give or take) and love to scratch. I have notices a couple of them trying to dust themselves after scratching. At what age do I put a dusting box in with them so they can dust if they want. Thanks Kim

 

[rancher hicks]

Never they don't need it. Where have you read about a dusting "box"?

Allow me to amend my response please. Chicks at a young age don't need a "dusting box". However if you keep your chickens in a run you might want to put something in the run like a "sand box". I've considered doing this so I can keep the sand or soil dry and add DE to it so when the dust themselves they also treat themselves for mites. Chicks and chickens will dust themselves whether or not they have mites. It's a nature trait. Dusting in itself does not mean you have a mite problem so don't worry when you see them dusting. I use DE as a preventative measure.

My response was for chicks since they are less likely to be kept in a place, such as a brooder where mites would be a problem. It's seems to me that many catalogs "invent" toys and things like that to sell you things you don't need.


Rancher

 

[karenhs2]

We have some Silkie chicks about that same age (now), going on 3 weeks. One of them looked like it was dusting and then kept sinking down after standing up. Now it is looking okay. Just wondering if there are any problems that look like they are sinking down to one side or the other or that their legs are weak. This is a chick that previously has been running and jumping and playing when not eating or sleeping.