My chicks are just over a week old. I notice one in particular loves to bury herself down in the bedding and act like she's taking a dust bath ( from the videos I have seen). Should I provide some sand for her to do so, or just let her be? The bedding is wood pellets, she digs in the spots that are broken up and pretty much saw dust.
It's just normal chicken enjoyment, sit back and watch. They will do it in Sand, wood chips, straw, anything that we use as bedding.
It's normal chicken behavior. Mine are also doing it to get rid of any mites they have on their feathers.
When mine were young they used to dust bath on the carpet in the garage. Now they've taken over the gardens. Glad growing season is over. They are in for a rude awakening next year when everything is fenced off. They'll get a kiddie pool with dirt and sand in it. As far as your kids go now, just let them do their thing in the shavings.
It certainly won't hurt to put a pan of sand in the brooder for her to enjoy. And she WILL enjoy it! I gave my chicks a small panful of play sand almost from the start. Almost no joy equals the joy they experience when taking a good dust bath! LOL Wood shavings just don't give the same cleansing dust bath that sand does. They'll also eat some of the sand and it will provide grit. I've never had any crop problems with my girls at all. Some may say it's not a necessity, that they get grit in their crumble/you shouldn't feed them anything but crumble, etc., etc.... The few bucks it cost me to go to Lowes and pick up a 50 pound sack of sand is well worth the enjoyment it obviously gives the chicks...and me! Just make sure to sift it or change it out when it becomes soiled, because they will eventually poop in it, just as they poop everywhere else
Quote:I agree...I put a tray of sand in my brooder and the girls went crazy! I think the record was 5 chicks in the tray all "bathing"! What a silly sight!
When they get older I noticed three or four will get into one spot and sling dirt on each other. They look like an outboard motor propeller slinging dirt. And they love it.
