Dust baths

[happymanny]

My baby chicks keep trying to take dust baths in the pine shavings. Do I need to provide something built for the task already? They are 13 days old already.

 

[PD-Riverman]

My baby chicks keep trying to take dust baths in the pine shavings. Do I need to provide something built for the task already? They are 13 days old already.

It would not hurt but its not something I do and usually they are 4 weeks or so before I put mine on the dirt.

 

[happymanny]

Is there any particular reason to wait? I'm curious what the benefits of waiting are when they seem to want to take dust baths now.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Is there any particular reason to wait? I'm curious what the benefits of waiting are when they seem to want to take dust baths now.

If you got the room in your brooder go for it----no need to wait. I have had as many as 20+ brooders with chicks at one time---if they were all dust bathing indoors---I would have a mess---LOL.

 

[FiddleChics]

I have the same thing going on... my 3-4 week old chicks are wanting to dirt bath everywhere in their little brooder. I have newspaper down, with large, pine chips & dry pine needles on top, and they were constantly fluffing like they want to dust bathe. So I got a basin, and added a good heaping cup of clean garden soil, added a tbsp of wood ash and since I thought they'd enjoy it... I added some dried thyme, dried oregano, rosemary, basil & tore open a peppermint tea bag (all stuff I had in my kitchen) and sprinkled it all in -with the dirt. I cleared out their food temporarily... (for room) and put the small dirt & herb filled basin in their brooder... and OH my goodness they loved it! They were so happy, fluffing and kicking it around! But smartly... I timed this... so I will clean their cage - AFTER - they're done! It was messy, but they were so happy and I love having happy chicks!

 

[llombardo]

I added dirt yesterday and it was gone within minutes.

 

[obicat]

I have the same thing going on... my 3-4 week old chicks are wanting to dirt bath everywhere in their little brooder. I have newspaper down, with large, pine chips & dry pine needles on top, and they were constantly fluffing like they want to dust bathe. So I got a basin, and added a good heaping cup of clean garden soil, added a tbsp of wood ash and since I thought they'd enjoy it... I added some dried thyme, dried oregano, rosemary, basil & tore open a peppermint tea bag (all stuff I had in my kitchen) and sprinkled it all in -with the dirt. I cleared out their food temporarily... (for room) and put the small dirt & herb filled basin in their brooder... and OH my goodness they loved it! They were so happy, fluffing and kicking it around! But smartly... I timed this... so I will clean their cage - AFTER - they're done! It was messy, but they were so happy and I love having happy chicks!

Mine had some sand in the corner at the beginning but ignored it. I'll give them some proper dirt tomorrow see what they do. Mine are 4 to 5 weeks now so should be more interested

 

[usmcpilot06]

mine do not even seem interested yet

 

[almount92]

My six day olds are rolling around in their feed... Did we have an opinion on what is an appropriate age to allow dirt baths?