My baby chicks are vibrating!

[Dollhoney]

OK.....I know this sounds silly.....but when I hold my baby chicks, they seem to vibrate. Are they shivering? Would that be from fear, because they certainlly aren't cold. Or, could it be a pleasure thing? I had a gerbil that used to vibrate when I held it. Please, no jokes...it's G rated.

 

[Camelot Farms]

They are just so excited to be out of the shell!!

 

[Suechick]

If they are under 1 week old they should be kept around 95 degrees. I've had some shivering when they were young. I'd pop them into a sweatshirt pocket or inside my sweater up on my shoulder. This kept them warm and close to me.

They are so sweet when they are little.

 

[bakerjw]

My chicks are at least a few weeks old and they also vibrate when I hold them. I thought it might be out of fear as they aren't particularly fond of being handled.

 

[QuackerOats]

Hmm.. now that I think of it.. My chicks used to vibrate too.

At the time I though it might be from lack of balance on my hands so their muscles are going wacky... but I'm not sure..

 

[langton]

My chicks are 2 weeks old and they vibrate too! All of them do it some of the time, but not all of the time. I worry that I'm stressing them out when I hold them, but I want them to get somewhat used to it. Even though they don't necessarily like being picked up, when I put my hands in the box they climb all over me, and almost seem to fight for a spot on my hands or arm. Some seem to settle right down when I pick them up and go to sleep, but they may still be vibrating..........I need to learn more about chicken behavior................

 

[jewlz]

Mine are 5 days old and they definitely vibrate sometimes when I hold them. i've found that if i snuggle them against my body or add a friend (another chick) the vibrating usually stops...so i assume it's from being chilly away from the heat lamp. The very young ones i try to hold for short periods of time because of this. then, as they get older, you can lengthen the amount of time they are away from their heat lamp.