I have disturbed the dirt

[KDbeads]

Sifted out the sand in the brooder today, well as much as I could get scraped up. Terrorized the chicks in the process and this is what they decided to do when I went to clean out the water bottle:

(3.5 weeks old)

and what happens nearly every time I refill/clean the water bottle, usually with a ton more attacking of the glass:

 

[Forest_Nymph]

Very cute!

 

[purpletree23]

Did you think that once you got the sand nice and clean and in place they were going to just sit back and be content. No way! I can clean my coop all day and even wash the disgusting windows and the next day it looks like I didn't do a thing!

They are adorable!!!

Enjoy!

 

[silkiechick05]

do your chicks eat the sand?
is that bad?

 

[bwebb7]

yes chicks will eat sand-it is OK- it helps food to get crushed in their crop

 

[mudpaw]

awwww...so cute.

It's always so amazing to see instincts at work in young animals! Just think if you have a three year old a bathtub and soap....I find it highly unlikely he would wash himself if he's never seen it done before LOL. I wonder now if I should give my chicks access to sand to take a dust bath, they are just on pine shavings right now.

 

[KDbeads]

I've had the chicks on sand since day one, though it was covered with paper towels until they scratched through them to get to the sand, took them about 5 days to do that. They eat it, its fine. I added a bowl of grit last week and it was totally gone in about an hour.

I get sand for free from hubby's plant, it's waste frac sand. it's officially 'clean', precrushed and has already been ran through the sieves. It's either fines that they can't sell or a grade that's not a fast moving sale.

If you haven't seen their first dust bath, this is right after I pulled up the paper towels:

 

[silkiechick05]

so if you give them sand, do they need grit?

 

[KDbeads]

For young chicks, sand is grit but it's not enough as they get older, they need larger grit. I gave the 3.5 week olds some road base (granite, not limestone) for grit the other day, if they could swallow it, it was eaten. They are running around just fine and dandy

I use the road base for the adults and pullets as well, I keep a plastic solo cup tied to the side of the coop and keep it almost full.

 

[purpletree23]

Is 'Play Sand' they sell at the bog box stores the same? Do you think it would be 'clean' enough?