Should I put dirt/sand in the brooder for baths??

[downstownlady]

My chicks are 12 days old and are growing like weeds. I have Pine Shavings in their brooder and no sand. I wanted to put some sand in there but, they out grew their other brooder (plastic sterlite from Walmart) so I had to improvise and fast and now they are in my very deep master bathtub and I am not sure that I will be able to even keep them in there much longer. They are flying like crazy...and I am scared that it isn't deep enough and I will be finding them all over my bathroom when I go in to check on them. Anyway, I digress...I was wondering if I should put them a dustbath in now or not. I have a box of the chick grit from Walmart that I bought just in case, and I was thinking of putting it in a pan for them to bath in. Any thoughts on this?? I have been giving them a little treat and some grit on a regular basis at the same time everyday. So grit isn't a problem. I am so in love with my little Chicky Babies!!!

 

[HappyTalons]

We have been putting play sand in the far corner of our brooder for a while. The chicks tend to use the smaller pieces as grit and they will bathe in it.
HOWEVER, if you have your brooder inside it will put a massive coating of dust all over everything. As for jumping out I recommend a large piece of wire mesh.

 

[FiveHens]

Could use a flowerpot or small pan for a dust bath. They would like it

 

[downstownlady]

Thank you so much for your advice. The pine and food is dusty too...and my bathroom will probably never be the same, but I wouldn't trade this experience for the world! Just 1 more question, if you will allow me to tap in to ya'll's chicken genius...the box says it has calcium in it...I think I read somewhere that it is not good for them this early one and I don't want to screw up my bumbling success so far with my little balls of fuzzy feathers, (EE, BO, BR, & GS all brown layers). Yay or Nay to the Parakeet Grit with Calcium as the dust bath??? Thank you again for your help...I just love this group!!!

 

[SarahIrl]

Feed with high levels of calcium - ie layers feed - isn't suitable, but chick grit is ideal for them.

As for dust bathing, I caught my 14 day olds dustbathing in the grass in their coop today. They go out in the dry weather, and to see them getting all the actions right, with grass, was the funniest thing I have seen them do yet!!

 

[downstownlady]

Thank you so much for letting me "peck"

your brains...LOL Oh how

funny!!! I can just picture those babies rolling all over the place enjoying the sunshine

and the grass

. I so wish I could bring my babies out, but it will be just another couple of weeks before they will be able to be moved into their new home outside. I am scared if I try to take them on a field trip outside prior to the move, they will start a complete "coo"...LOL

Pardon the Puns. Thanks again!!! I will get some play sand and put it in a shallow dish.

 

[HappyTalons]

Quote:
We have been taking ours out on "field trips" outside once they are about a week old. Though we only have had 5 chicks at once. At first it can be hard to re-catch them all, but if you train them with treats, you can handle them much more easily. They have so much fun outsie I really like taking them out

 

[fishman65]

Don't forget that chicks put on the ground too early have a higher chance of catching cocci. Even though there is meds in the starter it is only meant to help prevent cocci not guaranteed to stop it.

 

[silkymom]

i have pheasant and silky chicks in brooders now, and they try to dust bath in the shavings, {big mess} so i gave a shallow tuperware dish od keet grit and they love it to bath in, saves all the mess of pine shavings in the water and food, good luck,
juliet

 

[chickychicks]

Quote:
So just clarifying, as I have the parakeet grit too, we should NOT give that to our babies. Right?