Dust bath at 2 weeks?!?!?!?!?

[Southern28Chick]

Some of my 2 week old chicks are kicking up pine shavings and burrowing into them. Only a couple are doing it though. They do it when they are resting/sleeping. They dig a little hole and lay in it. Then they lay on one side and kick, then move to the other side and kick. They do this until they have shavings all over them.

What are they doing?

 

[CarriBrown]

They are dustbathing!

Isn't it the cutest ever?

 

[Southern28Chick]

I thought that's what they were doing. I just didn't know they would do it half asleep. It's really cute!!!! My babies are growing up

 

[Cheeks]

chickens are so cute when they dust bathe. it makes me feel all fuzzy inside.

 

[chicksnducks]

why do they dust bathe??? they all seem to fight over the same spot......they even step on each other...I am trying to teach them to play nice....

 

[Oaknim]

Chickens dust bathe to rid themselves of parasites and to help keep themselves clean (it's backwards sounding, I know). My girls dig huge holes in the dirt that would put any gopher to shame and lie there, sprawled out and cluck to one another. It reminds me of women at a spa.

~ Oaknim

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Keep an eye on them. I had 2 of mine do that to the point they were nearly buried and the others stepped all over them and they died.

A third one did it too and has ended up with a major crook in her neck. She looks like someone put her head on sideways!! It hasn't stopped her though she is out in the middle of everything with the rest of them. I call her Tess after an neighbor where I grew up that was a bit "different" then everyone else

Coyote