new chick arching head back to swallow water

[chickiechickiebawkbawk]

Bawk! These chicks arrived this morning at my local farm store. Has anyone ever seen a chick drink like this? She takes a sip then arches her head all the way back to swallow. She doesn't eat like that. None of the other 39 Buff Orpingtons do that. I've never seen it before. Is she ok? thanks so much from rainy Vermont

 

[chickiechickiebawkbawk]

Does anyone know what is up with this chick arching her headway back to swallow water?

 

[Jeanw]

Hello, Does she seem Ok otherwise? I would observe to see if it has any negative impact. If she’s going about her business and appears healthy it might just be normal for her. She’s very cute,

 

[chickiechickiebawkbawk]

Hello, Does she seem Ok otherwise? I would observe to see if it has any negative impact. If she’s going about her business and appears healthy it might just be normal for her. She’s very cute,

Hi thank you for replying. She does seem normal otherwise. She puts her head down to eat and to clean her feathers. She only does that to swallow water.

 

[Jeanw]

You’re welcome! Hopefully it is nothing and she will live a long and happy life! Take care.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Does she still do this after being settled for a few hours?

 

[viggo63]

I had a chick with wry neck who did this to a greater degree. Her head would tilt back and she would fall over when drinking. She could eat and preen without it happening. I treated her with Poultry Cell (for Vit. E and selenium) 3x day until her symptoms went away. Mild symptoms came back when there was no fresh grass for her over the winter, so I supplemented her a bit until the grass began growing again. Maybe your chick has milder Vit. E deficiency and could use a supplement.

This is what Gumby looked like at 2 weeks:

4 weeks later:

 

[chickiechickiebawkbawk]

She is four weeks old now and I think she stopped doing it. I have too many Buffs to tell but as a baby she stuck out and now I don't notice her. So it must have gotten stronger and grown out of it?

 

[Sjmills77]

My batches of chicks have all done this. I think it’s perfectly normal.