Dust Bath Replacement

[Keeperoflock]

My 4 week old chicks are telling me they want to have a dust bath. They are trying to do it in the wood shavings in their brooder. I'd like to start slowly exposing them to real dirt but there's no dry dirt here because of all the rain and snow we've been getting. The forecast says more and more is on the way. Where is spring???

Is there a substitute for a dust bath other than the woodchips they've been using?

 

[chickens really]

Sand and potting soil mixed is great for dust baths..Or just sand..

 

[Acre4Me]

I've used sand before. For my quail (similar in size to 5 or 6 week old chicks) I just use a cheap cake pan (NOT nonstick, just plain metal) to put it into the cages. In your case, the brooder. They LOVE it! Since the sand is often stored outdoors at many stores, it is usually wet. So, I just put it in the cake pan at a low temp for awhile before I go to bed, then let it sit overnight to cool down for use the next day. But, maybe you can put your sand somewhere it can naturally dry out. My quail are silly in the dust bath...after bathing, they will lay on their sides, with legs out, heads on pan rim, and lounge - its looks like a bird spa, all they are missing are the white robes.