new chicks shaking heads

[5chicks1roo]

1) What type of bird, age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.) - hatched Mon/Tues, a Partridge silkie

2) What is the behavior, exactly - shaking its head, like it has a "tick"

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all - seem to all be eating and drinking normally, water with 3/4 tsp to a gallon electrolytes (Merricks), medicated feed

12) Describe the housing/bedding in use - newspaper with paper towels on top, in a large plastic tub.

Just want to make sure our babies are going to be okay! Our original order from a hatchery (that hatched on Mon) didn't ship until Tues and were accidentally shipped Priority instead of Express. They didn't arrive until Friday at our post office, and of course all 16 were doa. I was so heartbroken. Our neighbor is the postal clerk and she said that's only the 2nd time she's ever had live cargo arrive doa in the time that she's worked there. So we packed the girls up and drove to a wonderful hatchery a couple of hours away and picked out these beautiful chicks. So I'm a little on edge about something going wrong with these too! Please excuse this new chicly momma.

 

[SIMZ]

I'm so sorry about your DOA chicks. It's understandable that you're worried about your new chicks, too.

It seems that I read once that chicks (chickens, too) will shake their head when "listening" - especially to unfamiliar sounds. I wonder if they're doing that in response to you talking to them? Now when I notice the head shaking I just assume they're listening, and it doesn't concern me anymore.

Someone else may have a more experienced observation, and definitely keep an eye on them for any signs of illness in the meantime, but that would be my first guess.