Sand/dust bath for the 9 day old chicks?

[Rockergirl]

I have 4, 9-day old blue ameracauna. They seem to be more advanced than the other chicks I raised last year....two of them are already trying to "dust bathe" in their pine shavings.....I would like to give them a small dust bath with the construction sand in their tote/brooder since they are already going through the motions....would that be safe? I read that sand isn't always the best idea for new chicks.

 

[nuthatched]

Plain old dirt from your yard.

 

[mossyoakpro]

I put dirt from the yard mixed with a little peat moss in a tub when mine were tiny....

 

[Rockergirl]

Plain old dirt from your yard.

I just put topsoil in a small container for them and all they are doing is eating it. They are going crazy for it, love it....but just pecking/eating it....Is that bad for them?

 

[nuthatched]

I just put topsoil in a small container for them and all they are doing is eating it. They are going crazy for it, love it....but just pecking/eating it....Is that bad for them?

Nope, it's fine. But they shouldn't eat too much.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I just put topsoil in a small container for them and all they are doing is eating it. They are going crazy for it, love it....but just pecking/eating it....Is that bad for them?

That's normal - it's new, it's how chicks explore the world (by tasting it) and if you scraped it out of your yard, there could be some tiny bugs in it to attract them too. If they are gorging on it, I would consider reducing the amount or only leaving it in for a short time until they get more used to it.

 

[MIchickenlady]

I put a container of chick grit in with my 2 day old chicks and they loved scratching and rolling around in it!