Sand bath for baby chicks?

[Tha_gurl_ju]

Hi! So I have two olive egger chicks, they both seem to be under 10days old. I was wondering, would putting a sand bath in their coop be good? And if so, can I use chinchilla dust sand for them? Or should I stay away from that?

 

[azygous]

From what I've read, the dusting sand is extremely fine. I couldn't find whether it's appropriate for chickens.

The extra fineness concerns me. Chicks will ingest practically everything, a lot like human infants, so you want to be sure it's a harmless substance. I would be concerned it could clump together in a clog in their crops as it mixes with bodily fluids. To be safe, I would recommend staying away from it.

There are many alternatives. Peat moss, construction sand, even soil out of your garden are acceptable. The garden soil has an added benefit of having beneficial microbes that will assist in developing a strong immune system. Many chick raisers use this.

 

[m1chelle1]

Hello! Welcome! Ive used sand (beach sand) in my chickens coop (or brooder) as bedding, from day 3 (when i got them from the hatchery). I live on an island where all the "dirt" is sand so its readily available. My chickens did not, however, start taking dust (or sand) baths until a few months old. They like taking baths in the sand now and take them every day. Im not familiar with chinchilla dust sand, but i know that regular grain (beach grain) sand for my chickens has been perfectly fine for them, even at a young age. I would recommend it for coop bedding, too, in mild to warmer climates All i do is take a sifter and i sift out the chicken poo and other particles, like feathers, etc once a week and it is easy, keeps the coop very clean! Good luck!

M

 

[MROO]

I can't answer to the chinchilla sand, except to go along with the advice already given - avoiding any super fine stuff that babies may ingest. However, I definitely go along with the "add dirt from the yard" advice! Having fought coccidiosis once, I don't recommend it ... it's definitely NOT fun! I now dig a small clump of sod (a three or four inch clod) from my back yard, water it in a small cup or tray for a few days to set it, and put it in the brooder with my peeps. They love to pick and scratch at it, so it's s great boredom buster, but they're getting exposed to the back yard microorganisms at the same time, while they're still on the medicated chick feed. In my book, that's a double bonus!

 

[chickens really]

Sand is defiantly fine because I'll Brooder Chicks on sand...

 

[aart]

even soil out of your garden are acceptable. The garden soil has an added benefit of having beneficial microbes that will assist in developing a strong immune system. Many chick raisers use this.

Ditto Dat^^^