Baby Chicks Behavior...Are they supposed to act like this?

[futurefarmer08]

Maybe they have narcolepsy?

Seriously though, as long as they have space in the brooder that they can go to that is further away from the light if they are getting too hot, I think it is normal behavior. They just feel warm and realize they are tired and plop out they go. My chicks used to sleep at such weird angles I was sure they were dead. I would run in and wake my poor husband from a sound sleep crying "I think they are dead!

" Then we would go in there and they were fine!!!
Likely yours are too!

 

[RendonRoo]

I just got my first chicks about 2 weeks ago. They scared me that way too. I've actually seen mine fall asleep and fall over when running across the brooder. I thought she had a heart attack. Before I could do anything another chick bumped into her and she was up and running again. Seemed like the first week they are on a 15 minute cycle. sleep 5, eat 5, run and poop for 5...fall over and repeat. Good Luck

 

[MrsChickenWhisperer]

Here's a couple of photos! They are all doing fine...

 

[Laura78]

At night when I'm laying in bed I swear I hear them chirping and either send Joe in to check on them or I get up and check on them. Last night one was laying there not moving while another was pulling at it feathers, scared the day lights outta me. So, I did the normal momma thing and reached in to touch it, sure enough, it popped right up, woke everyone up and they were off. lol

 

[skeeter9]

I know, it's kinda freaky when they do that drop dead and sleep thing! I have a few chicks that are about a week old and when I carried them into the living room last night to play with them, one of them flopped over in my hand with it's head hanging over the side and took a snooze while I was carrying it! If I didn't know better I would have thought it had just died! Silly little baby!!!

 

[CityClucks]

My favorite is the one with the ring around its eye! Great photos - thanks for sharing!

 

[Master S.M.C]

Chicks will go to sleep ANYWHERE, mine fell asleep with its head in the feeder

 

[CBee]

Haha, aww, the BLP are so cute! They look like they have huge brains. Little geniuses.

They are all adorable. Thanks for sharing. My little babies are growing up and out of their chick phase. And they're only a month old.

They grow up so fast!

 

[jpfenimore]

Phew! I'm so glad I read this! I just brought home my first flock of 4 and was sure that at least one of them was already dying and that another has some kind of narcolepsy! I guess they are all normal. Normal weird... just like the rest of our family.

 

[Wabbit Mama]

Mine do the same thing - run, stop, fall over, pop up, and repeat. I also find them passed out with their beaks in the feeder. I have a barred rock that likes to sprawl out under the lamp….she lays on her side and stretched her feet and neck out. Scared the hell out of me the first time I saw her like that! But then I watched her for a while and saw that it was a normal thing for her to do.

My older pullets roam my backyard during the day, and I about fainted one day when I was walking toward the house from the horse pasture and saw all three of them passed out on the stairs leading up to the house. One per stair, with their heads down and wings stretched out. As I got closer, they got up, turned around, and laid down on their other sides. Turns out the ladies were just enjoying the warm sunshine