Normal Chick Behavior vs Abnormal

[Strong Bad]

Hi All!

My baby chicks arrived this morning. They are eating & drinking, settling in. I’m overjoyed & so thankful for the babies!

While gazing at my little brood, it dawned on me that I know nothing about baby chick behavior.

Tell me the good, the bad and the ugly. What are the weird behaviors that are actually just normal (and not to worry about)? And what are some other behaviors to keep an eye on?

I love to hear your experiences!

TIA

 

[LaurenRitz]

They'll pick at anything that shows a contrast, including each other. If any are patterned, or become patterned as they grow (such as tails coming in) watch for that.

Mine always love the sun. They prefer the sun to their heater.

You'll quickly learn the difference between "trouble" noises and comfort noises.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

What is your setup like? This is such a good question from you because their behavior is a reflection of your setup and will identify anything that needs a tweak. That said there are also things not relative to the setup but instead the travel stress or health at birth. If you are using a lamp then normal behavior is scattered. There are illustrations if you do a search in articles of where they should be relative to the lamp and what it means. If you're using a heat plate or MHP, they should get under to sleep at night and during the day spend time going under for naps or warm up but also running around, eating, drinking. Always check butts, looking for signs of pasty butt. In a nutshell they should do what you've described so it sounds like you're in good shape! But again, a description of your brooder setup is really helpful. I actually can't think of a behavior that I've seen that I thought was weird but turned out to be normal. I've seen sleeping chicks not eating, drinking the first day that concerned me but then by the 2nd day they're zipping around. Thier chirping is something to pay attention too. If they're making soft little songs they're happy. If loud, distress chirping something is off. Glad you're enjoying the process!!

 

[LaurenRitz]

They'll just fall over and you think they're dead, but it's just a nap.

 

[Strong Bad]

Thank you! They are more energetic and make soft chirps. I have seen pasty butt. That is the only time I hear a distressing call. They do not enjoy the bum cleaning. As gentle as I am, they are not a fan of that process.

I’ll attach a few brooder pics. The girls have plenty of space. I’m using a red light, and have a cool down areas. They are eating & drinking just fine.

I am realizing that their beaks are used as way to explore. At first I was concerned thinking they are pecking each other. But like babies, they use their mouths to explore their world. The chicks appear to be healthy and as fluffy as can be - so cute!

Just learning their behaviors…which is sometimes weird & downright funny.

 

[Strong Bad]

Ok guys! These baby chicks are 1 week old. And boy, they are active! It's sorta like they get the zoomies and start racing around the brooder. Flapping their wings and hopping around. It's too cute!