Teaching chicks to dust bathe?

[Hopeful homesteader]

I have 5 2 week old chicks that have been trying to dust bathe on the concrete when I bring them outside, I've tried loosening a bit of dirt in the middle of the grass they play on and put in a box of sand and they just eat the sand and do the dust bath motion on the concrete still. I've tried putting my hand in and moving the sand up but they clearly don't get what I'm trying to show them cause im not a chicken lol. I know they'll figure it out eventually but is there anything else I can try to encourage them to bathe in their sand box?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

You could put a small, shallow box of sand on the concrete.

They will get it. Like a baby or toddler mimicking adult behavior, a lot of it is more "going through the motions" than actually effectively dust bathing.

They'll figure it out. LOL.

LofMc

 

[Naisha]

You have to take a dust bath in front of them! XD jk jk, I think the idea of placing the sand on the concrete is a good idea. Then instead of the concrete they’ll look for the sand. (In theory)

 

[Kingbobkingdom]

I had chickens once who dust bathed in the brooder even before most of their feathers grew. And my quail go through "virtual reality" as they "dust bathe" with their head in the food boxes. Your chickens will eventually learn to dust bathe in sand, just keep showing them the sand box. Or, if you have an older chicken who bathes in the sand box, perhaps you can show the small chickens the big one bathing in the sand.

 

[Hopeful homesteader]

I had chickens once who dust bathed in the brooder even before most of their feathers grew. And my quail go through "virtual reality" as they "dust bathe" with their head in the food boxes. Your chickens will eventually learn to dust bathe in sand, just keep showing them the sand box. Or, if you have an older chicken who bathes in the sand box, perhaps you can show the small chickens the big one bathing in the sand.

My chicks from last year started dust bathing in the wood shavings of their brooder too. I've tried bringing them over to watch the older chickens but as soon as the older ones see the chicks they all freeze and stare at them and then hide behind stuff in the run, it's pretty funny.

 

[Aunt Angus]

And my quail go through "virtual reality" as they "dust bathe" with their head in the food boxes.

I so badly want to see this.

 

[rosemarythyme]

They'll figure it out. First time I let my last group of chicks out, at 10 days old, they just picked a little patch of the ground and started rolling around in that. At the same time, I had opened the dust bath for the adults so they were enjoying their bath about 3' away and didn't bother the chicks.

 

[BarnwoodCoop]

I have 5 2 week old chicks that have been trying to dust bathe on the concrete when I bring them outside, I've tried loosening a bit of dirt in the middle of the grass they play on and put in a box of sand and they just eat the sand and do the dust bath motion on the concrete still. I've tried putting my hand in and moving the sand up but they clearly don't get what I'm trying to show them cause im not a chicken lol. I know they'll figure it out eventually but is there anything else I can try to encourage them to bathe in their sand box?

they’ll figure it out eventually- it’s instinct. usually they’ll learn a lot quicker with a mama hen but doesn’t mean without one they won’t learn at all. i’ve raised 3 broods over the years and they all tried to ‘dust bath’ by shimmying in my lap before actually getting dusty lol

 

[Genoveva]

What did it look like?
This morning, one of my 10 day old chicks (very active and healthy, I think) started doing a funny backwards scoot while flapping. Once she started doing it, two more started. I was worried at first but when I put my hand in to check on them, they hopped up and ran normally.

 

[dearmeghann]

Our girls will dust bathe on anything, and sometimes (not always) will actually dust bathe in their dust bath. Go figure! haha!

Our new chicks are the same. My favorite one (the cuddliest wheaten maran ever) has dust bathed on my shoulder using my blouse