is this normal

[joyprior]

We just got our very first chicks in the mail from My Pet Chicken. This is our first time owning chickens. They've been here for about an hour now. Two or three of them are very sleepy. I understand that's normal but a couple of them seem to fall asleep laying flat on their stomachs or sides. Is that normal or could they be sick? They get up and walk around, have had water and some food, but they will walk around for a couple minutes then just pass out. I'm going to try and post a picture to show. Right now three are flat on their stomachs.Thanks for your help!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Looks pretty normal as long as they are eating and drinking. Those chicks will scare you to death the way they sleep. The way they stretch out and get themselves in what looks like really uncomfortable positions you’d think they are dead. Then they hop up and run around. I think that’s what you are seeing.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

It can be alarming and on more than one occasion I've thought chicks died. Totally normal though. Hatching takes a lot out of them and mail chicks have to deal with no heat and mail system on top of that. Their just plumb pooped. Your local feed store will have packets of vitamins and electrolytes you mix into a gallon of water. One packet will do you to water them for few days with vitamins to perk them up faster. The more they eat the less fatalities you have. Eylectrolytes and vitamin water perks them up so they can eat more to get that much needed nutrition.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Day old chicks do sleep a lot, and yes they will just plop, fall, flatten out in 'dead sleep', lol... being shipped is rough and exhausting too, so they'll need a bit of reco ery time... just check your temp under the heat lamp and make sure it's not too hot, if they pant a lot then they're too warm... maybe move the lamp more towards the corner too so they can move in and out of heat as they need a little more...
Good luck and enjoy your chickies...