chicks dirt bathing in wood chips

[kakayona]

They are making big holes and knocking everything over. They turn 4 weeks on the 22nd. Most are fully feathered. 14 sex links. Is this a sign to put them out now? Is this a bad habit brooder ?

 

[E.G.Glayer]

They are instinctivly taking dust baths. It helps keep parasites away. They do this even when you put them out but at 4 weeks and fully feathered they are more than ready to go out.

 

[gritsar]

First off,

Nothing wrong with them dustbathing in their shavings, other than they get the shavings eveywhere in the process, including in their water and feeder.

If you have a coop ready and your temps. are moderate, put them out. Not a single one of my 5 week old chicks (my second flock) has ever been in the house. I brood them outside. They just started free ranging with supervision about a week and a half ago. During the time they are out they each find time to take a dustbath.

 

[MammaMoose]

My girls find where my dear hubby has put fresh mulch down and proceed to undo the good deed. I have big dirt holes everywhere. I guess there's no use mulching my flower beds. It's funny to watch them roll around in the dirt. Some of them actually turn completely over...like a dog doing "roll over".

When my girls were chicks, they'd do that to the fresh wood chips I'd put in their cage. There'd end up being more chips outside the cage than inside. Cute, but very, very messy!!

 

[-- - - -]

My Granddaughter's chicks are having too much fun while I babysit them. In the future or not too future, half the pen with a cardboard division will be with dirt and the other half chips. That should make a good experiment. oh, they're having seizures!.. and now asleep.

 

[kabrown1127]

They are making big holes and knocking everything over. They turn 4 weeks on the 22nd. Most are fully feathered. 14 sex links. Is this a sign to put them out now? Is this a bad habit brooder ?

If they have most of there adult feathers and the weather is accommodating I have put mine out.