Baby chicks are usually very active and enthusiastic birds so seeing them laying down may be concerning to you
This article looks into why your baby chick is laying down with its wing out
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Baby chick laying down with wing out:
Baby chicks are quite fragile birds, a simple injury or an illness can be fatal to these birds, so, if you see your baby chick doing something out of the ordinary, you’d be right to worry.
Here is why your baby chick may be laying down with its wing out:
Resting:
If your baby bird is laying on its side then the bird may simply be resting.
Chicks will fall over and sleep anywhere they choose to and they may also sleep in awkward positions like on their side with their wings out.
What to do:
This is not something that you need to worry about, it is pretty normal behavior for baby birds and doesn’t mean that your bird is ill in any way.
The bird will soon wake up and go about its day as normal after having had enough rest
Overheating:
If your bird is laying on its side, but its eyes are still open, then the bird may simply be overheating, lethargic, and may be resting on its side as a result.
Chickens have a higher body temperature than humans do so they will feel the rise in temperature more drastically than humans will and they will act accordingly.
They will respond to heat by extending their wings outwards away from their body to release heat, the birds will also open their mouths when they are overheating.
What to do:
Observe the environment to see if overheating is the reason why your baby bird is laying on its side. If it’s the time of year when the weather is warmer than usual then your bird may simply be overheating.
If your bird is indeed overheating then you’d firstly need to make sure that the bird has enough shaded areas to cool down in.
You’d also need to make sure that your baby bird has access to cool water at all times and also make sure that you give your bird refrigerated foods to eat and snack on.
Vitamin E deficiency:
Your bird may be laying on its side because it can’t stand up because it is suffering from an illness called encephalomalacia or a vitamin E deficiency.
Another name for this ailment is crazy chick disease and it usually develops in birds between 15 and 30 days of age.
A vitamin E deficiency can cause your bird to lose balance and fall onto its side.
Other signs of vitamin E deficiencies in baby chicks include incoordination, tremors, ataxia, and contraction and relaxation of the legs.
What to do:
If you think that your bird is suffering from a vitamin E deficiency then you’d need to take your bird to the vet to confirm this.
Once confirmed isolate the bird and keep it in a warm, safe, and comfortable area of its own and supplement vitamin E into the bird’s diet until your chick recovers.
Make sure that the bird is stress-free throughout the recovery process.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Baby Chick Wants To Be Held All The Time, Baby Chick Looks Wet, White Spots On Cockatiel Beak, Baby Chick Screaming, Baby Chick Distress Call, Chicken Stuck On Back, Red Rash On Chickens Skin, Chickens With Red Skin, Baby Chick Won’t Walk Or Open Eyes?
