My new chick stands alone on the MHP chirping very loudly. Any ideas why?

I just brought home 2 day old California White Pullets yesterday and introduced them to my 6 day old Golden Laced Wyandottes. Two separate times day, one during the day and one time after dark, one of the new chicks stands up on the MHP by herself while the others are under the MHP, chirping loudly and repeatedly. It seems a little odd. Any ideas why? My boyfriend was teasing me that she might be a rooster but I thought I read they wouldn't start crowing until later. After I tucked her into the MHP tonight she stopped, so maybe she's just young and confused? Thanks for the help!

Out of sight, out of mind. If the chick can't see the other chicks, it thinks they have disappeared forever. The chick honestly believes that is alone and separated from its flock. Sometimes it takes them a day or two to figure out that they need to walk down off the pad and look in the cave for the others. I've had two week old chicks that still could not figured it out.

junebuggena said:

Out of sight, out of mind. If the chick can't see the other chicks, it thinks they have disappeared forever. The chick honestly believes that is alone and separated from its flock. Sometimes it takes them a day or two to figure out that they need to walk down off the pad and look in the cave for the others. I've had two week old chicks that still could not figured it out.

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Haha like infants and peek a boo! That's good news! I was hoping she was just a confused chick! It's amazing how much bigger and more mature my 6 day old chicks are! And then to see how much faster these new gals are learning, exploring and trying new things from their big sisters' guidance! The Wyandottes weren't scratching and bathing until day 3 and these new gals learned immediately! So intriguing!

June's right. It can be both funny and exasperating. Baby chicks aren't born smart, kind of like human infants. It takes a while for them to develop their thought processes. It's fun to observe the process and see them learn. They may be slow on the uptake, but once a chicken learns something, they never forget.

Try teaching your chicks to come to you when you use a verbal cue and a container of favorite treats. Once they learn that particular container, it then posses the power of a loaded gun. They will be front and center at the slightest glimpse of it. The mere sound of your voice will also get them to respond instantly like a well trained platoon of military recruits. This will prove very useful as they grow up and you wish to get them herded into the run after being out free ranging.

azygous said:

June's right. It can be both funny and exasperating. Baby chicks aren't born smart, kind of like human infants. It takes a while for them to develop their thought processes. It's fun to observe the process and see them learn. They may be slow on the uptake, but once a chicken learns something, they never forget.

Try teaching your chicks to come to you when you use a verbal cue and a container of favorite treats. Once they learn that particular container, it then posses the power of a loaded gun. They will be front and center at the slightest glimpse of it. The mere sound of your voice will also get them to respond instantly like a well trained platoon of military recruits. This will prove very useful as they grow up and you wish to get them herded into the run after being out free ranging.

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Oh I would love to try getting them to come to me! I went back and read about raising baby chicks in the learning center, and OOPS I handled my chicks all day every day since the day the came home with me. The site recommends wait 3 days. So with that possible damage already done, I would love to give them treats! They LOVE dry crumble food, as I feed them FF. I have been too nervous to try anything else without chick grit. Any suggestions of treats I can give them? They have sod in their brooder, but I didn't have it in my over spent budget to buy grit.

ChxLadyCass said:

Oh I would love to try getting them to come to me! I went back and read about raising baby chicks in the learning center, and OOPS I handled my chicks all day every day since the day the came home with me. The site recommends wait 3 days. So with that possible damage already done, I would love to give them treats! They LOVE dry crumble food, as I feed them FF. I have been too nervous to try anything else without chick grit. Any suggestions of treats I can give them? They have sod in their brooder, but I didn't have it in my over spent budget to buy grit. 

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My two & a half week olds won't touch anything besides their FF & dry crumble. You can try hard boiled eggs and/or yogurt without grit, they're "supposed" to love it.

Wait till you have some grit before giving treats. Grit is how food gets broken down in the gizzard. Without it, food can't properly move through the digestive tract.

ChxLadyCass said:

Oh I would love to try getting them to come to me! I went back and read about raising baby chicks in the learning center, and OOPS I handled my chicks all day every day since the day the came home with me. The site recommends wait 3 days. So with that possible damage already done, I would love to give them treats! They LOVE dry crumble food, as I feed them FF. I have been too nervous to try anything else without chick grit. Any suggestions of treats I can give them? They have sod in their brooder, but I didn't have it in my over spent budget to buy grit.

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You shouldn't need to buy grit if they are getting a clump of sod....there's grit in there that they are taking in!

Awesome! I will start with the dry crumbles and try some yogurt! I am picking up two more chicks this afternoon! Has anyone had varying success with handling right away versus not picking up for 3 days?

I simply start my chicks, and don't worry about handling/not handling. If I want to hold a chick, I do. Otherwise, I simply take care of them, and leave them to do their chicky things. I enjoy having them, and watching them, but am not interested in having a lap chicken. I find that when they get a bit of maturity on them, they are friendly enough, no matter how they are raised. If I have a cockrel who is starting town the path of jerkiness, he gets special attention. Or should I say... discipline. It can happen at a very young age. I had one little boy who thought he was all that and then some at the tender age of 2 weeks old. He'd attack me when ever I put my hand in the tractor he shared with Mama Broody and Sibs. I'd pick him up and he'd immediately start biting. I'd peck him with a finger, then hold his head down below chest level. It took about a week and he became a model citizen.