dust bathing chicks?

[sangel4you]

Hello everyone. I've noticed lately that a couple of my three week old leghorns are often times laying in their pine litter and kicking it away as if they're digging "a nest" and then either once they're very deep down to the point of near buriel, or they start rolling around in it. I am assuming this is the dust bath behavior since I am a newbie and unsure. My question is, should I put a little box of sand in the brooder with them or something? Or just let them continue digging holes in their litter, and if I did put a box of sand in with them, is it safe for them? Any help would be great, thanks!

 

[gritsar]

Sounds like dustbathing to me. Sure, you can give them a box of sand in with them. Just be sure they don't think that sand is the latest greatest treat and eat too much of it.

 

[TexasVet]

I put a shallow pan of fine sand in the brooder box when my chicks are about 2 weeks old. They eat some of the sand, which is probably good grit, and fling the rest all over the brooder. Sometimes 5 or 6 at a time are in there taking a bath, so it's pretty funny to watch.

Just wish my own kids had this instinctive grooming need!

Kathy, Bellville TX
www.CountryChickens.com

 

[sangel4you]

problem is there's not a lot of extra room in their brooder for now...if I did it would prob only be big enough for 1-2 chicks, is that going to cause problems between them?

 

[HorseFeathers]

Some very fine sand mixed with dirt and a little DE makes a great dust bath mix. We put it in a pie plate.

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

Quote:
Isn't that the truth!! I just wrestled my 2 yr. old son in the tub to get him clean and I am still not sure we got 100%!

lol

 

[BigSkyChickens]

The first time one of my chicks did this, I thought she was having a seizure! HAHA.