What are my chickens doing in these pictures?

[trenth265]

Right before it got dark tonight I let them out for a few minutes, they pecked around for bugs as usual for like 2 minutes then the started digging holes and laying with each other and rolling around it was pretty funny and interesting. My only thoughts are they were either cold and warming up and or trying to sleep.

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[sourland]

Good guesses, but incorrect. They were dustbathing. Wait until a nice sunny day when they sprawl out and sunbathe - true, not kidding with you.

 

[bowen012]

Dust bathing. You'll see that a lot and it's good for lice and such. Also common for them to all go together; you could have 100 acres and they'd all still likely crowd out each other for the same spot.

 

[trenth265]

Good guesses, but incorrect. They were dustbathing. Wait until a nice sunny day when they sprawl out and sunbathe - true, not kidding with you.

Oh wow thats funny i cant wait to see that!! hahaha And dustbathing, does that mean they are actually trying to clean themselves? or what are they thinking as they are doing it?

 

[trenth265]

Dust bathing. You'll see that a lot and it's good for lice and such. Also common for them to all go together; you could have 100 acres and they'd all still likely crowd out each other for the same spot.

thats interesting!

 

[redsoxs]

Dust bathing is so interesting to see! When I first saw it with my birds I thought they were having some sort of seizure - two were on their sides and looked like they were having convulsions! They were scooping up dirt and flinging it up on their backs and looked like they were at deaths door. But then they pop up, shake off all the dust in a big cloud and go on their merry way!

 

[applegal]

Dust bathing is so interesting to see! When I first saw it with my birds I thought they were having some sort of seizure - two were on their sides and looked like they were having convulsions! They were scooping up dirt and flinging it up on their backs and looked like they were at deaths door. But then they pop up, shake off all the dust in a big cloud and go on their merry way!

Yup... when I first saw 'em I was surprised to see how they contorted their bodies, looked so weird. Mine love to dust bathe in the roses then shake off on the porch.

 

[Izzymoon]

yeah it is freaky..

 

[aldarita]

Dust bathing is very interesting to watch specially when you know what they are doing, what caught me by surprise (new raising chickens) is when they sunbathe, first I thought my pullet was actually dieing and got very concerned, then after a little while she gets up and goes about her normal business of scratching and pecking.

 

[Sunyoung]

They were dustbathing (as many others have already said). It's funny to watch and perfectly normal. Mine usually do it as a social thing too - very funny to see.

And to show that it's a normal and natural instinct - even my chicks love doing it...