Dust bathing?

[JenS9]

Is this little one here on the right trying to dust bathe? LOL

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10151596201113011

 

[Keltara]

Yes she is! If you put a little box of sand in there, you'll have them all dust bathing. It's really fun to watch!

 

[JenS9]

Haha I thought so! Thanks!

Apparently food is good to dust bathe in. LOL.

 

[khoe]

Lol awwww!!! So cute!! She is definitely dust bathing. She's an early starter!!

 

[JenS9]

Lol awwww!!! So cute!! She is definitely dust bathing. She's an early starter!!

She was only 5 days old! Only one I've seen do it so far! My month old girls don't even do it yet! LOL

 

[khoe]

She was only 5 days old!  Only one I've seen do it so far!  My month old girls don't even do it yet! LOL

Wow! Yes, 5 days is very young. It's funny how some of them have the instinct to do it so much earlier. One of mine started at 2 weeks, it's basically all she wanted to do when she got in the sunshine. The other didn't even try it until 6 or so weeks old.

 

[JenS9]

I'll have to get them some sand! Will the sand stuff for chincillas work?

 

[khoe]

I'm not sure! I put a litter pan in with mine with a bit of dirt from where their run would be, and added to it once a week.

 

[Ketaped]

I have an extra large chinese food dish I filled with sand from what will be my chicken's outdoor run. I sterilized the first batch (baked it in a 450 degree oven for 2.5 hours) because I'm a paranoid and overprotective chicken mommy

and they were only a week old - wanted to give them a bit more time to build up their immune systems. Since then I've been refilling it every few days as they empty it - scratching, dust bathing, eating it for grit. They love it. As an added benefit, it seems to have improved their digestion immensely. Before I put in the sand, their waste still was grainy - almost like you could see the chick pellets still in one piece - since they started eating the sand for grit, their waste is much more ... waste like. It is absolutely adorable watching the balls of fluff and feathers lying in the sand purring in contentment. At least mine seem to purr, definitely a different sound than they normally make.

Enjoy!

 

[JenS9]

My yard is all grass, no sand. At least for the moment it is all grass... Probably wont be once my herd of 10 goes outside. LOL