# Fainting Chickens



## mesa123 (Jan 15, 2009)

One of our bantam hens seems like she faints when we pick her up. Most of our bantams are on the wild-ish side, but this one will usually walk up to us and let us pick her up...especially if she's perched on the gate. Anyway, when I pick her up, she immediately closes her eyes and goes limp. I can turn her any which way, even upside down and she just lies there. After I set her back on the ground or on the perch, she wakes back up. Is this normal chicken behavior? 

PS-I found a post similar to this from a few years back, but no one really had an answer then. I hope someone knows now. Thanks!


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## kyweaver (Nov 30, 2009)

I don't know if that's normal, but it sure would be convenient!


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## Guest (Aug 30, 2010)

That's a new one on me!


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

I've found that with a lot of chickens, no matter how wild they are, if you lay them on their back on the palm of your hand they will lay still for quite some time.


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## suelandress (May 10, 2002)

Maybe you make her swoon


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## WstTxLady (Mar 14, 2009)

while its not good to put a chicken on its back, it can pacify them by doing so. funny to.

yet i have heard of fainting goats but not fainting chickens. guess its in her mindset that once something "grabs" her, being you, she gives up & passes out.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

I've noticed that some chickens do "go tharn" when a predator gets them. I've seen it with dogs and hawks. Many chickens do raise a ruckus when a predator draws near, but once they are nabbed they seem to resort to a very placid approach. As if they're thinking, "Maybe he won't eat ALL of me."

As with most chicken behavior, there probably is a genetic component to this behavior and in some birds it's going to be stronger than in others. This bantam probably just has a stronger mix of it. 

I know you think it's cute and you like this bird, but I'd cull her or at least not collect any eggs from her for hatching. I free range and I need birds that put up a fight right to the bitter end, or at least squawk and holler so me and the dog know where something has dragged them off for the feast.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Ernie said:


> I've noticed that some chickens do "go tharn" when a predator gets them. I've seen it with dogs and hawks. Many chickens do raise a ruckus when a predator draws near, but once they are nabbed they seem to resort to a very placid approach. As if they're thinking, "Maybe he won't eat ALL of me."
> 
> As with most chicken behavior, there probably is a genetic component to this behavior and in some birds it's going to be stronger than in others. This bantam probably just has a stronger mix of it.
> 
> I know you think it's cute and you like this bird, but I'd cull her or at least not collect any eggs from her for hatching. I free range and I need birds that put up a fight right to the bitter end, or at least squawk and holler so me and the dog know where something has dragged them off for the feast.


Well, "playing possum" is a survival instinct too, and an effective one in many cases. If a dog attacks chickens it often does it for sport and quits the attack as soon as he thinks the bird is dead.


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