Two week old chicks - dustbathing?

524 Views 4 Replies 4 Participants Last post by veggiemomma, Apr 24, 2009

veggiemomma

Discussion Starter · Apr 22, 2009

I have 11 two week old chicks. I have two inches of pine shavings in the brooder box as litter.

On Saturday, it was UNSEASONABLY warm here, so we took the babies out for a short forage in what was our garden last year. They ran and pecked and chirped and flapped their little wings...so CUTE! Then one of the RIRs found about an inch of dirt in the yard and began rolling around and hopping up and down. Everyone else seemed pretty oblivious to the display and walked on her head, etc. But ever since then, they have all been doing that same hopping and digging and jumping around in their litter. Are they old enough to need dustbathing, or is it just an instinct that they start doing? What should I put in the brooder for them to bath in? Will play sand from our sandbox work?

These are our first babies, and I am not quite sure about it all. Thanks in advance!

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oneKnight

· #2 · Apr 22, 2009

Most people put a small cat litterbox in with sand in it after they start dust bathing in the shavings. Mine are 11 or 12 days old and one JUST started today after they had a little outing in the backyard. I have a litterbox for them, but I haven't gotten any sand yet.

Yes play sand will work just fine. If you aren't giving them grit then they will also eat the play sand for grit (won't hurt anything) I personally prefer finer, "river sand" for dust bathing, because it's actually DUST, but I don't want that in my house for obvious reasons!!!

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MamaMonica

· #3 · Apr 22, 2009

That is so cute! I love it when little chicks dustbathe.

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UUMom

· #4 · Apr 24, 2009

Sand is fine. I know some people who put sand in a regualr sandbox for their hens. We have a dirt pit in our pen, and I try to flip it over and loosen it with a pitch fork every now and then. The girls come running because i always toss up some worms in there.

They also like to dust bath in mulch and in my garden beds.

Any old loose sand, mulch, or dirt pile will do.

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veggiemomma

Discussion Starter · #5 · Apr 24, 2009

I put a little litter pan in with them with some playsand in it last night before I went to bed. They were all avoiding it, just stepped about two toes in and running away! haha! By this morning, there are three bathing at a time, and the rest are waiting as patiently as baby chickens can in a little chick line. haha. I guess they like it!

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