What in the world are these chicks doing in the brooder

[bobbieschicks]

They are rushing around after eating a yogurt & Chickstarter treat, then they'll stop, bend over and rub their heads side-to-side like they are rubbing their faces in the pine shavings to wipe their face? Are they cleaning the yogurt off of themselves? Another one sat down where I sprinkled DE earlier and rubbed herself around in a circle on her belly and puffed up her feathers. Is that what taking a dust bath looks like? I wish I had taken a picture of their odd behaviors - now they are all sacked out next to the roost sleeping like the dead. And what's up with their water bowl - can't they leave the shavings out of it for 5 minutes!

 

[SanctusPullus]

Yes. Yes. And no. LOL All sounds like everyday behavior to me

 

[HEChicken]

It sounds like they were cleaning their beaks. They are actually quite fussy about their beaks and don't like to have the feeling there is anything stuck to them (unlike their feet - they don't seem to care WHAT they just stepped in). The DE behavior does sound like dust-bathing behavior.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Okay - I thought that's what they were doing - I just never have been around chickens before and these guys/gals are so funny to watch. They are growing up very quickly.

 

[Judy]

Ah, the ever amusing world of chicks....

Raising the waterer on a brick or something similar, as high as they'll reach up and drink, and putting something like a scrap of plywood under it will lessen the trash in the waterer problem, if you haven't already done both. Although my adults with waterers on concrete blocks still manage to scratch some litter into the waterer.

 

[saladin]

The others have answered your questions extremely well.

Just a word of caution. I would watch it on the yogurt. At this age they don't need it and to much of it could be really bad.
If they are getting Chick Starter then they are getting everything they need. Supplements at this stage are not necessary and often cause problems.

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:
LOL. Yup


Original poster:

The babies are fine and you are correct on both behaviors. You can try sitting the water on something to raise it to chest height but babies, waterer and shavings equal constant waterer cleaning out.

 

[saladin]

One more thought:

The reason many of us raise chicks on wire is because of the problems you describe with the waterers. Raising them on wire also helps with sanitation. I highly recommend it.

 

[SanctusPullus]

Quote:
Chicken nipples fix everything for the watering mess - an empty gatorade bottle with the nipple in the cap screwed onto the frame of the brooder, adjusting height as they grow. Takes about 30 seconds for them to "get it"

 

[JodyJo]

its cute what they do isn't it...I like watching my older ones "kiss"...they eat the food off each others beaks...sometimes I give my older ones starter/grower mixed with water...they LOVE it...and they all starting kissing too!