Help...chicks are going a little crazy...I think

[mommabird]

I am very new to the world of chickens. We have 6 leghorn chicks that we acquired 1 week ago today. We believe them to be just about 2 weeks old. Everything has been fine (and may still be) but tonight they all seem to be in a frenzie and I can't seem to figure out why. Over the past week they have all settled down around 8 or 8:30 and we don't hear much from them for the rest of the night but for the past two nights they have been very loud and active until very late. Last night when I checked the box I noticed that they had spilled their water all over, so I cleaned out the box put in fresh paper, shavings, food and water. They seemed to settle down so I didn't think anything else of it.

Now again, tonight they are all in a frenzie. They are peepling loudly, running around and just don't seem to want to settle. I can't seem to find any apparent problems. We have a warming lamp on the box and it appears to be a good temp, there's nothing obvious that I notice. They are all running around, pecking and scratching at the shavings (a little more intense than usual) and flying around the box.

Is this normal at this age? If so, that's fine, I just want to make sure there isn't a problem I'm missing. It seemed like a big change in behavior overnight. Am I missing anything obvious that I should look into? I will say that when ever I walk over to the box they all quiet down and settle in but a few minutes after I walk away they ramp up again. It's almost like they want me to settle in with them (which I'm not going to do). LOL!

Am I just being crazy? LOL! Any input would be appreciated.

 

[LaynaDon95]

If they are about 2 weeks old, like you think, then they are discovering their wing feathers. It's totally normal at about 2 weeks for them to become louder and more active because they are learning they can do new tings, like fly. Knocking over their water is, unfortunately, a side effect of that. All sounds normal to me. Keep up the good work.

 

[Jessigrace]

My chicks are about 3 weeks old and are going crazy as well. They are flying/coasting around the brooder. Loud chirps, quite chirps, constant quite chirps, scratching, and dust bathing. I feel like they have grown so much in just a short time.

 

[jak2002003]

Yes its unfortunately normal behaviour....and it will get worse.

My chicks are little horrors now at 4 week old. They are flying around the brooder, kicking out all their food, draining their water container by putting their bedding in it and syphoning it out, pooping up the brooder walls, play fighting, flying out of the brooder and pooping on the floor, eating the bedding and generally just wrecking everything they can get to!

They are also very noisy!

I have solved this to some extent by putting them in chicken tractor in the garden in the daytime so they can get lots of exercise and then at night they are more tired out. I have the heat lamp in the tractor, but the weather is very warm here and they don't seem to need it now in the day time.

Good luck with yours naughty babies!

 

[bobbi-j]

Mine are doing that, too. I find it quite entertaining to watch them! They'll be eating, napping, calmly wandering about and all of a sudden, one will run-hop-fly across the coop for no reason, and the rest will join in. They flap about in a frenzy, and as quickly as it starts, it stops. They're just too funny.

 

[mommabird]

Thanks so much for the responses. It sounds like I have some normal, healthy chicks. LOL! It's good to know. I was really beginning to wonder if I had gotten a couple of cukoo birds rather than chicks.

Thanks again!

 

[ADozenGirlz]

They are just growing up and beginning to find new ways to play. They're silly like that sometimes. Congratulations on your new chickens!

 

[RonC]

From reading the posts today sounds like everybody is having the same issues with kids being kids. Just keep in mind the're going to turn into teenagers soon.

 

[justin7]

If they are about 2 weeks old, like you think, then they are discovering their wing feathers. It's totally normal at about 2 weeks for them to become louder and more active because they are learning they can do new tings, like fly. Knocking over their water is, unfortunately, a side effect of that. All sounds normal to me. Keep up the good work.

I was told on Wednesday by baby chicks were 5 days old. That puts them now 9 days old and all of them are here at 10:45 at night trying to fly out of the brooder, all 12 of them. I'm scared they will all get hurt while in asleep. How do I stop this madness?! Lol