I have 10 2+ week old chicks in the bathtub. I had the chick starter in a bowl down at one end. Tonight I moved it to the center of the back wall. This chick (the shyest, most timid one) jumps up on the bowl, and takes a "dust bath" in the feed, falls off, and continues to have a dust bath in the shavings, then gets back up on the feed dish and does this several times. I have never seen anything like this, not scratching in the food dish, but actually doing the dust bath thing. Any explanations?
It's natural for chicks and chickens to dust bathe. They're very happy in doing it, and they will be disgusted if you interrupt their happy time. They're grooming and cleaning themselves. Yes, they look funny! Take a container and put some sand or fine soil in it. This will prevent them from dust bathing in the feed, but it's ok for them to bathe in the shavings. Good luck!