I think my chicks are CRAZY! Advice please!

[operator16]

I have six 3-week old Easter Eggs Chicks, two 2-week old barred rocks, and two 2-week old buffs. They are currently all in a 5 foot HW steel trough/brooder. The Araucana's/Easter Egg chicks are INSANE! They fly, squawk, and jump on each other's backs. They all run around the brooder at full speed knocking over their water and their cell mates, feathers are flying... Sometimes the little ones participate in the mosh pit but mostly they move to the outside and watch.

Are my birds ok?

We spend lots of time with them everyday - holding them, taking them outside, giving them treats - yoghurt and worms. Is this normal behaviour?

On top of all of this insanity, the six bigger ones look like they have mange. I think it's just their downy feathers coming out as the new feathers come it.

Any thoughts??

Thanks so much!

 

[NoseyChickens]

Sounds pretty normal, the bigger they get the more they play.

 

[Jkioneil]

yes they go trough a very ugly phase when their feathers come in. it gets worse they look like ugly dinosaurs!! but then they get pretty again. no worries. how big is the space you have them in? they sound normal to me. but it they peck at wachother you may need a bigger space for them. active chicks are good how much light do they have per day? more light more active. they sound fine though i would just worry if they are agressive and hurting eachother they may need a little more space. but it sounds like they are progressing well.

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

Sounds very normal to me...

Mine are from the Ninja School...escapees!

 

[Jkioneil]

yup mine are active as heck if they are not i would be worried!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Yup. They go through a really zippy phase.

They also go through a flying phase and they actually can get quite a bit of height considering that their little wings are so stumpy.
Sounds like you have healthy, happy chicks!

 

[delawarechickmom]

Mine are doing the same thing. The 5 EE girls are nuts!! We moved them into a bigger brooder today (4 x 4) and moved their perch up to 12 inches off the ground and one of the girls used the perch to get up to the top of the brooder (which is 32 inches high), so back on went the chicken wire to keep them in. They are 3 weeks old today, and unless they are sleeping they are always up to no good. The thing they all excel at is looking adorable so mom will give them more mealworms or crickets, since they have found out they are absolutely yummy. They baby most in love with the mealworms is my little white silkie, who will run under the EE's to steal the worm right out of their mouths.

 

[PoultryPedia]

Quote:
CUTE!

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

My last batch of chicks were flying up to the side of the brooder (Rubbermaid container) when they were just a week old...didn't think they had enough wing feathers. This group has been a challenge. All eleven of them come to the door of their hutch and expect me to hold every last one of them!

 

[operator16]

I'm glad to hear that this is good behavior! These are our first chickens and we're having so much fun! Thanks for all the replies! Here is one of my chicks. They do remind me of Jurassic Park sometimes when they look at me out the side like that...