Our chicks are almost 2 weeks and I gave the m a clump of grass and some rosemary twigs

[MagistraTn]

They were hesitant at first but now they are going coo-coo! They are loving twigs to roost on as well! next up is a mini dust bath, as they are rubbing around in the dirt/roots. can I just put some dry garden soil (kinda clay-ey here) in a tub? I intend to make them a big one in a tire, so maybe I should buy some sand to mix in?

(my chick taking pics are still awful)

also, maybe it’s time for pine shavings? They are now scratching around with their footsies

 

[ChickenEnthusiast]

Dry garden soil in a tub is not a bad idea.
And amazing! chicken's are so much fun to raise, but they do dig a lot and make a big mess Haha.
I typically raise my chick's in pine shavings from when they hatch to about 6 weeks.
But loving the photo, they look like beautiful healthy chicks.

 

[rosemarythyme]

A clump of garden soil is fine, make sure you're scooping from an area that hasn't been fertilized or anything recently. It'll help expose them to the natural bacteria and such from outside as well.

I always have some sort of bedding in the brooder so if shavings are what you want to use, don't see why you can't add them now.

 

[3KillerBs]

I'd have had them on shavings as soon as they had learned to find their feed and eat it -- within 3 days for shipped/feed store chicks, not sure about the ones I'm hatching myself.

A little soil to mess around in is generally a good thing.