Mar 29, 2021
164
260
156
Hello! So i just got 5 day old chicks yesterday and im brooding them in my room for two weeks before moving them outside and expanding the brooder. as soon as they got settled they became very quiet and happy, and very friendly. Darting in and out of the heat pad, eating a bunch and drinking. One chick in particular has seemed to latch onto me, even though I only held him twice today for around 10 mins.

Now its evening and im in the living room when i hear maximum cheeping from one chick. I go and check it out and its the same chick (lets call him yellow. Im calling it a him because being this lovey must be the universe trying to break my heart.) Anyways hes standing on top of the heat plate screaming his little head off and as soon as he sees me is jumping against the wall. The very MOMENT i have it cupped inbmy hands its happy and drifting off and adjusting his crop.
So i stand there for ages, let him snuggle a bit, and then scooted him back under the heat. I shut the lights off to encourage sleepiness and it was getting late anyways. As soon as i get downstairs the cheeping starts. I get back and yellow has climbed back up in the dark. I try to ignore it but then he sits there and gets cold while screaming. I hold him again to warm him up. he stops the slight shivering and sleeps for a good 5 straight minutes, and everybody was sleeping in complete silence. So i quickly get yellow under the heater again and put him wayy in the back between its siblings and pulled the towel down so its almost fully covering the entrance, discouraging it from trying again. It worked and now its perfectly quiet but im worried what it will do tomorrow. It really cheeps at an earsplitting level and I unfortunately cant hold it all day, or whenever it demands between eating and drinking. Is this temporary? Has anybody experienced something similar? Id let it peep itself out but im afraid of it getting too cold. I know its wam enough in there, the ambient heat on the ground under the pad is 90° and they can choose to sit up against it or not. I just cant figure out whats making this chick unhappy and what im providing that the heater isnt. Im worried its sick and trying to get my attention or somethin


Sorry for the long read, and thank you so much for any advice i can get.
 
I had a single chick that did the same thing, he was the only chick that hatched though. I had to regularly walk near the brooder so he could see me but I tried not to lift him out too often. At night I did have to cuddle him to sleep though, every night for a good while he would sleep in my hand until he was properly asleep then I could slip him under the heat plate and he slept straight through. Hopefully with the other chicks yours
will settle down quicker.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom