Chick stretching neck and mouth--kind of like yawning

[Shared Acres]

During the day I didn't notice this behavior, but last night when I was holding one of them (showgirl silkie chicks), after about 20 minutes it started to stretch it's neck out and open it's mouth.

Think like what we do when we go to bed when we stretch and yawn, that's kind of what it looked like. She did it several times. Some back to back, others with 30 seconds to a minute or two in between.

This morning she's not doing it.

I looked at this: http://www.welphatchery.com/poultry_health.asp

But I didn't see anything that would be of use. My husband said that one of the ones he held did it also, but I don't think it did it as much and it would eventually stop.

Should I worm them to be on the safe side? My husband thought they were just pushing food down their bodies.

 

[Suellyn]

Oh, man.... I am hesitating to post this, BUT a couple of mine do this from time to time, either on their own for no reason that I can determine,
OR
if I blow in their ear (

yeah, I know... don't ask...)

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

Our chicks do it also and has never seemed to turn into anything. We also have a few of our older girls that do it. Watch them but I think it is just stretching.

 

[Shared Acres]

That's what I thought at first, just scared me that she KEPT doing it!

 

[mrandmrschicken]

We have a Vorwerk pullet that seems to do that sometimes. It is almost like something is caught in her throat. She is fine, nothing wrong so I am curious about that behavior as well.

 

[swtangel321]

Normal, no need to worry !!! I have older chicks that still do it once in a while !! Even see a hen do it time to time.

 

[cluckychick]

When mine do this behavior it seems to be when their crop is full. I think they eat so much and are trying to get all that food down in their crop.

 

[flakey chick]

My BR girls started doing that arund 8 weeks when her flock mates were trying to crow. She still occasionally does it as if she is trying to crow, but NOTHING comes out.

 

[Cetawin]

That is a normal behavior...different birds do it at different times.

 

[seminolewind]

I've been watching this behavior for a year now, and the only thing I can come up with is that it is a bred-out behavior. Baby birds usually hold their mouth open when mom is coming with the food. In chickens, I think it's the remnants of that behavior.