How early to introduce a dust bath to chicks?

[humpbacks1962]

I did not have to introduce it. I took them to the backyard to look for bugs when they were about 2 weeks old. They sensed a beam of sunlight on them and right there, they took their first dirt bath. It was the cutest thing ever. It is instinctive.
Mine do it when the day is sunny and the dirt is dry, loose and warm

 

[Patricia Jane]

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I did the same thing. Keeps them busy and they have a lot of fun.

 

[larsonll]

So far all they are doing is eating it but I'm not watching 24/7!

 

[ChickenMama1988]

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I totally agree and use the same basic formula for my "dust" I provided a dust bath after my chicks started rolling around in their Starter mash at day 3 before I moved it into a regular chick feeder. But I do want to reiterate to only use FOOD GRADE DE and that if you get a bag of dirt from the nursery or hardware store, make sure there is no insecticides or fertilizer in it. Also, I dry it out and then sift it. I know that sounds obsessive, but the first time I did it I found some broken glass and some plastic pieces in it and this stuff was pretty expensive, not the cheap top soil which I now use and never find anything in it.

If you are keeping the chicks in the house, just be prepared for all the DUST!! When you clean the room they are in, and if you have any lung issues at all yourself, get a few N95 rated masks. You can get them at the hardware store or even a Wal-Mart for $4 on up. http://www.walmart.com/search/searc...=&search_sort=4&selected_items=+&depts=Hi_A_H
I know in the store they sell the pack with a single mask. I prefer the ones with the valve. I also use this when I am sifting their poop out of their "bathtub".

Also when they reached 4 weeks, I ended up getting a "tub" large enough for them all to get in at once. I got some large grit sandpaper to rough up the sides and rim of the box so they wouldn't keep slipping off when they tried to perch on the edges. http://www.maccourt.com/lowes/mortartubs/at2606.html Not necessary to have one this large, but all my fuzzy butts like to sleep in there at once. I am sure this will change when they get full grown, or just when I move them into their coop, but for now . . .

can i just take dirt from my backyard and put it in the brooder (in a bin of course), like from where the girls outside dust bathe?

 

[LeucadiaCoop]

My habit with my chicks is to pour out the last of the crumbles in the feeder and refill it after cleaning with new feed. The 3 week old chicks love to scratch the poured feed in the brooder and devour it (or maybe it's just scattered!).

In the last 2 days, 2 chicks have been trying to take dust baths in the poured crumbles. Super funny.

I mixed up a dust bath based on recommendations here and elsewhere (1:1:1:1 of food grade DE, ashes, sand, and dust) in a shallow container. They are all afraid of it so far...after all, they looked at a slice of watermelon for hours before trying it, but I'm not sure if I should just leave it or try a few hours a day.

Funny story I have to tell you...when I introduced the first watermelon slice, they looked at it from afar, literally staring at it intermittently and seemingly forever. My absolute favorite part though was the "run bys". This is when a brave chick would stare at the watermelon, and suddenly and frantically run past the watermelon slice, almost to see if it would be chased. Love this new chicken keeping.

My chicks are similar. They really need a mom to show them how to “be a chicken” I’m considering putting an iPad in the brooder to show a video of a chicken dust bathing. We’ll see if it works. LOL

 

[KathrynNewChick]

ive googled a few things, first time doing any of this and LOVING IT. SO FRIGGIN CUTE! I'd honestly forgotten about the dust bathing and only have top soil and the rosemary to hand. I've dried the soil in the oven and rosemary. I've blended what will in a hand blender....wondering how good google advice is....I'll be getting some sand from petsathome tomorrow was wondering what you guys thought?!

 

[LeucadiaCoop]

My chicks are similar. They really need a mom to show them how to “be a chicken” I’m considering putting an iPad in the brooder to show a video of a chicken dust bathing. We’ll see if it works. LOL

BTW I did show them a you tube video on my iPhone of a hen and chick dust bathing. They were mesmerized! And they used the bath properly so maybe it helped and maybe they just figured out on their own.