Is this strange behavoir??

[Chickendummy]

So ... I just got my chickens today. They're crawling and scratching at the ground, almost to a point of rolling over in the grass. Is this strange behavior? I'm going to post a picture of them soon. I know that chickens take dust baths ... could that be what they're doing? Or is it just so hot (80's) that they're getting close to the cool earth?

Thanks,

CD.

 

[dichotomymom]

Sounds like they are dust bathing. If you don't have an area of bare dirt, throw some mulch down or let them stay concentrated in one spot for a while (if you don't mind the torn up sod) and they'll make it for themselves.

 

[Chickendummy]

This photo shows two of my girls lying side-by-side, intermittently grinding up the sod. I don't have any mulch, so I guess they're creating that bare dirt that they need.

Thanks for the feedback.

CD.

 

[Farmer Benjii]

Find a space in your coop and get a shovel and remove only the grass. Then move the soil around so its all dusty... Make surte its covered so it doesent go wet and dry hard... sometimes it doezs that

good luck
Farmer Benjii ~

 

[gritsar]

Yep, dustbathing. Don't worry about carrying dirt in. The grass you have in there now will soon be gone and it'll be one great big dustbath hole.