dust bath for peeps

hippiechick6

Hatching
6 Years
Apr 10, 2013
1
0
7
I read that chicks as young as a week old will take a dust bath. I would like to know what is a good medium for their bath. I have sandy soil and was wondering if all sand is good or should I add something else. If using only sand and they ate too much would this be harmful to them? First time chick mom:)
 
Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided join our flock. I keep a flat box with wood ash in it for my chickens' dust bath. It prevents lice and mite infestations better than dust, sand, or dirt, and the chickens love it. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.
 
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Chickens naturally peck at sand and dirty to pick up 'grit'. It might seem like they are 'eating' a lot of it, but the finer particles will pass right through them, leaving the bigger pieces in their crop. Chickens don't have teeth, so the grit helps break down their food before it gets to their stomachs. They will dust bathe in anything, even wood shavings.
 

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