Dust Bathing

[Dina k]

What is the proper age to offer chicks a dust bath

 

[Veer67]

You can offer them a dust bath at any age, it's a natural thing for a chicken to do so there will be no harm in letting them have dust baths. Dust baths also help kill mites and other external parasites so don't restrict them from it.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

As soon as they dry off and fluff up.

 

[millielynn]

It is so much fun to watch the babies enjoy a dust bath. Mine were a few days old before we had their outside brooder box built and they loved it when we put them in it. We put it where they have access to a little bit of grass and sand to dust in.

 

[millielynn]

We even put a small limb in it. They are 8 days old today. It's funny to watch them practice getting up there. Some of them take long naps up there now.

 

[Dina k]

Thanks you very much every one. This really helps. They are a week old and are acting like they are trying to dust but I wasn't sure. Thanks again

 

[millielynn]

They will love it when they get the chance. They like to perch low to the ground if you have anything that you can put in there with them.

 

[chicken8]

My chicks started using the dust bath within days of first leaving the coop (about a week old). Mama showed them how and now they do it on their own. She also tried to get them to sleep on the roost at about three weeks. It's 2' off the coop floor and they kept falling off so they went back into the nest box. It's getting cod here so that is probably for the best.

 

[millielynn]

I bring mine inside in the evening and take them back out in the morning. It is still hot here during the day and in the 70's at night. I have been doing this for about 5 days and I think they are already getting used to it. They would jump out of the box I used at first but now they get in like they know what time it is. They love going outside.