kkcameron1945
Hatching
- Feb 11, 2015
- 1
- 0
- 7
Several people have asked if a baby chick can play dead. I just took my chick out in the patio - he is used to being in a brooder pen. When I lifted him out of the box I used to carry him and set him on the patio in the gentle sunshine, around 70 degrees, he looked around for a few minutes and then keeled over on his side, splaying out one wing - as though dead. I was horrified, but when I gently nudged him, he popped right up. Then, a few minutes later, over he goes again! When I put him back in the transfer box, where he felt protected, he did not repeat the behavior, nor in the brooder pen where he is now. I checked all the websites, including this one, and was shocked to discover that there is controversy and doubt over this behavior. I am not a chicken expert, but I am pretty sure I know that my chick was pretending to be sick or dead, for fear of a Hawk or other predator.