Is this normal or my chicks just crazy?

[TinyLittleFarm]

Now that I think about it, normal chicken behavior and "crazy" are not mutually exclusive. Anyway...

My 11 6 wk old chicks moved out to the coop yesterday. When I checked on them after work, there were a couple who were digging in the pine shavings the way a cat digs in litter to cover her mess. Then the silly things would lay down in the shavings kind of on their side and roll around and fluff up in it.

I assume this is dust bathing, but is it normal to do this in pine shavings?

Funny little chickens.

 

[pkforever]

My chicks did this in their chick food yesterday. silly little buggers!!

 

[The Lisser]

Mine have been doing the same thing - "dust bathing" in the shavings. Especially after I put a clump of grass in there (they love to eat fresh grass) and they roll on the dirt that's around the grass roots.

Melissa

 

[Makenziejh]

nothing like a good old dust bath to keep you cool

 

[Kittymomma]

My week olds were doing the same thing yesterday when they moved into a larger brooder and the shaving were deep enough to play in. My kids said it reminded them of burying each other in the sand at the beach.

 

[jettgirl24]

Mine go crazy doing that every time I add new shavings and have since they were two or three weeks old. It's pretty darn cute though and makes me laugh every time

 

[Backyard Hencam]

It's so interesting that so much of their behavior is just instinctive. That's what fascinates us!

 

[lakeontariochicks]

Is THAT what they're doing??? lol!!!
One of my 2 day old Cornish x was doing that today!!!
Everyone else was staring at him, wondering what the heck he was doing. Then they all started chasing the pine chips he was throwing around.
It was the cutest thing, I thought he was making a nice nest for himself!