Six week-old Black Austrolarp plays "dead"

kkcameron1945

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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.
 
Yep, just sunbathing. My chicks would do that under the heat lamp. Lay on one side and spread out the opposite wing and/or foot and just lay there for a bit. To me it just looked like they were stretching out. I would too if I was curled up in an egg for a month.
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Welcome to BYC - your bird was sunbathing/resting in a very relaxed state of mind (vs your theory of feeling threatened) - not playing dead or pretending to be sick.

x2 on Ol Grey Mare's reply. That's what it was doing. Our new ones do that anytime they get in the sun.
 

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