kamikaze chicks -- will they be okay?

[LaurasLorps]

My 4 black australorps will be two weeks old on Sunday and they are really starting to get the hang of the whole flying thing. They have a pretty large brooder box (rubbermaid tub) with lots of room to run around and flap their wings...which they have been doing a lot! One of the chicks has apparently decided it is fun to jump/fly its head into the hardware cloth I keep on top of the tub. Others flap themselves right into a wall. When I am holding them, I always sit on the floor because they like to jump/fly off of me, and they don't really know the meaning of "graceful landing." It is funny to watch, but I am getting concerned that one of the chicks might injure itself. Is there something I need to do to protect them? Part of me want to wrap them all in bubblewrap

, and the other part of me says they have to take their tumbles just like any baby growing up.

Any advice?

 

[chrissybop]

No advice but your post is exactly what's going on at my house too! I have 4 australorps that turned 2 weeks on Mon. They are getting quick! I don't think there's anything you can do to protect. Mine are there one sec and gone the next. Once one flys up they all start doing it, banging into eachother and chest bumping. The kids and I get a good laugh watching them take flight!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

As long as they're not falling from high up they should be fine. Normal chickie behavior

 

[Hinotori]

My 7 week old EEs did that a lot in the brooder. They are outside now and fly into the sides of their run. None of their antics seemed to slow them down even so I didn't wory about them. I figured if it hurt they wouldn't do it again.