IS THIS NORMAL FOR 3 WEEK OLD CHICK?

[Fawn and Fam]

One of my 3 weeks old chicks at night time (for the past 3 days) lays on her belly, rolls to one side and rapidly scratches the pine bedding down to the bottom w/ one foot. Then she rolls to the other side and does the same thing on that side. She continues to do this throughout the night. It scared me the first night, I thought something was wrong w/ her. She is so preoccupied that she allows herself to be stepped on. Is this normal behavior?

 

[countrygoddess]

Sounds like she likes to take dust baths at night. =)

 

[Fawn and Fam]

Yes, you are absolutely right! I just figured it out today when I changed their bedding from pine shavings to sand. Immediately a different chick started doing the same thing and she had never done that before. I then realized it was what they do when they take a dirt bath. The funny thing is the chick that was doing it in the pine shavings has still not after a couple hours even touched the sand. She is afraid of it. She is walking on top of the feeder, waterer, roost, anything but the dirt!

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Yup she's dust bathing! My chicks do it all the time

 

[WhitneyMarie13]

My older chicks never had much interest in dust bathing in the pine shavings, but once they moved to their coop with a dirt floor they absolutely love to dust bathe.

The couple day old chickies that I picked up this weekend are very different...they LOVE to dust bathe in the pine shavings!

So funny to watch them...or, hear them!