Baby Chick Attachment to Human... Mistake?

[Happy Chicken Mama]

Uh... I think I made a mistake!

We had ONE baby chick hatch out of six bought eggs and so I coddled & cooed the little buggar from right out of the shell. So, I am the mommy! I thought this would be fine... but the little guy can't be out of my sight without going into full on desperate fits!

We have ended up having it sleep with us because it screeches forever when you try to put it to bed.

I feel responsible for the little ones happiness and like its my fault for letting it bond with me. It is just doing what it supposed to do (following mama chicken, letting the mama chicken know where it is if it gets lost & warming up to mama chicken are it only jobs!) that is not its fault.

At 7 days old it is however the smartest sweetest most precocious chicken I have ever seen!

So I guess there are some benefits. But whew it is exhausting. I have learned my lesson!

This may be silly to those of you who don't have any 'pet' chickens... but I was wondering if anyone else has had this experience and when this 'attachment' lessens... just curious when I get my life back.

Oh and we did try to get some day old chick friends for it on day four. It didn't work... the little buggar thought they were suckers and started giving them a complex. It wouldn't have anything to do with it's new pals and they are now waiting for our neighbor to come pick up his two new free baby hens

 

[mamaKate]

Congratulations on being such a diligent chicken keeper! Baby chicks can't bear being alone. Some react more strongly than others.You really did what you needed to do in order for the little guy to thrive. However, if you ever hope to put him/her outside, you have to teach her to like other chickens. I wouldn't give away the new siblings. Rig up a separation barricade so that they can see each other but not touch each other. Then start to ease off the time that you spend with the original chick. You obviously have a tremendous amount of patience; give it time and I'm sure they'll all adapt. Everyone will be happier in the long run.

 

[Happy Chicken Mama]

THe little buggar, "bean" is her/his name, has 19 possiable brother & sister in the incubator... hopefully in 2 1/2 weeks it will be ready to wean itself away from me a bit.

Here is the buggar bean:

She/he thinks it a frog it just want to be heald like this a goodly portion of the day.

 

[txchickie]

Oh how precious!!!! LOL!

I have a chick that got really down (don't know what it was), but I ended up with him wrapped in a baby washcloth in my shirt and syringe feeding him sugar water & mash for 3 days.....needless to say he thinks he's my child

Eventually (and I mean like after a week) I just put him in the garage brooder with the other chicks and came back in the house. Not the nicest thing to do, but it worked! He's now a chicken again, instead of a human. A very gentle and friendly chicken, but still a chicken

 

[mamaKate]

Thanks for the pictures. WOW! He really melts you're heart.

 

[FrontPorchIndiana]

Awwwwwwwwwww, dang it he's cute! I'd try keeping the friends and doing like advised. If they get a chance to look at each other for a while they'll eventually warm up to each other.

 

[mybelle5]

Awww, what a precious little baby! My pets are the same way with me. The only time it is now a problem is when they are always under my feet..
I think your little buggar will eventully make new buddies when the others are born.

 

[firedove]

I would definitely do as suggested and keep his current brooder mates! If he is giving them trouble at only 4 days older he will be very hard on newborns when he is 2 and a half weeks older! You need Bean used to other chicks by the time those newborns hatch and need to join the brooder!

 

[JewellFarm]

If that isn't the sweetest baby!!! Just precious. I feel sorry for ya, LOL. If you are like me, you will end up as attached to it as it is to you, if your not careful.

 

[NancyDz]

Yea keep the others like some have suggested, he needs a chicken buddy... even if you just keep one.... You can't always be there and eventually he will realize this and bond to them.
There's always a bit of pecking order with chicks... they will work it out. Keeping them separated by wire is a good idea. You think he's loud now wait a few weeks from now.
And the ones coming in two weeks... he'll really hurt them with the size difference... that won't work to combine them.


Good luck!

Nancy