Our Pullets 4 weeks old are scratching and preening A Lot.

[Meerkat]

Is this normal? I don't remember them doing that. Is it because feathers are starting to come in?

 

[Amish Heart]

Yep! It's normal. I think they must be happy chickens if they're trying to look pretty.

 

[Meerkat]

Yep! It's normal. I think they must be happy chickens if they're trying to look pretty.

It has been years since we had peeps so I forgot. Thank goodness its not mites or anything.:thumbs up:

 

[Sonya_6]

It has been years since we had peeps so I forgot. Thank goodness its not mites or anything.:thumbs up:

They may be doing it a lot partly because they are bored and there is nothing else to do. Can you set a pen on the grass so they could scratch and peck around once the day warms up? Though if they eat grass/bugs they should have grit available.

 

[Meerkat]

They may be doing it a lot partly because they are bored and there is nothing else to do. Can you set a pen on the grass so they could scratch and peck around once the day warms up? Though if they eat grass/bugs they should have grit available.

They have a fairly big pen in the living room till we can get smaller chicken wire. It is 3'H, 6'L,3'W. With 5 perches in it .Maybe I can put sand in it for them to sling.

 

[Sonya_6]

They have a fairly big pen in the living room till we can get smaller chicken wire. It is 3'H, 6'L,3'W. With 5 perches in it. Maybe I can put sand in it for them to sling.

Or hay/straw, they love to scratch around. In a natural environment even three day old chicks are busy every minute of the day scratching around, looking for bugs, dust bathing, preening etc... They seem to have an endless amount of energy.

 

[Meerkat]

Or hay/straw, they love to scratch around. In a natural environment even three day old chicks are busy every minute of the day scratching around, looking for bugs, dust bathing, preening etc... They seem to have an endless amount of energy.

I have a clear plastic container that is 8in deep and about 3 ' long so I'll put some sand from yard in that. Soon as the dew dries the top soil and weedy grass outside. We had little sand boxes in the brooder snake got in and they liked it. Maybe when they sling sand it won't go out of container onto floor, or not much anyway. Will get 1/2" chicken wire soon to put over brooder and they can go back outside. :thumbs up: