Cage Syndrome

[Griffin Nest]

Quote:
they do not have a lamp at all because its 80 degrees outside. they have food, water, and a large cave they can hide in. its a cage and they can see out all around. i just cleaned it too.
all they keep doing is running back and forth on one side stepping all over each other. the cage is HUGE!! It's not like they don't have anywhere else to go. They chirp loud all day. They look clean to me and i checked all of them. I have no idea why they are all so loud.


well, i doubt that they're cold because i saw one panting and they are almost fully feathered. it's also 80 degrees and i feel that its unsafe to put the heat lamp in, but I will fins something they can brood under. what should i put in?

 

[AccentOnHakes]

Try a feather duster or a stuffed animal.

 

[Griffin Nest]

Quote:
oh thanks! i'll post again and say if it worked

 

[Griffin Nest]

i found this big fluffy stuffed turkey from Thankgiving and i put in in the cage. I left it there for about 30 minutes and i was hoping they would calm down, but they are louder and piling up in the corner farthest from it!
I don't know what to do and I'm getting a head ache

 

[KSCluckah]

Hey,
I'm a chook newbie myself, but in my overzealous research to make sure my babies were getting the best of everything, I
visited with a large bird specialist who had cockatoo chicks that were being weaned off hand feeding...they were making the
most horrific noises, so finally I asked "are they experiencing some extreme stress syndrome"? He said no and yes...
He was weaning them from hand feeding, so they'd imprinted on him...everytime they are able to see him, they started
making the "feed me mommy" noise...the minute he walked out of sight, they were fine and actually fiddled with the food
in their cage...my guess is they've imprinted on you and after you, you to them are the big hen goddess of all hens, since
you feed and water and care for them. Only a guess, but so far most of my bird instincts and guesses about behaviour have
been fairly spot on.

Peace.
Mutha

 

[Griffin Nest]

Quote:
woah. well, I guess that would be the case since they stop chirping when i'm there. But when I'm not sitting right in front of them they scream at the top of their lungs. I can't be sitting there all day. Thanks a LOT though!

But did you say that the chicks STOPPED chirping when he left? Because that's not what's going on. They are loud all day except when I'm sitting there.

 

[AccentOnHakes]

Is the turkey still in there?

Give it another hour or so; they're scared of it.

 

[Griffin Nest]

Quote:
yes, it's still there. its nighttime and i don't hear them anymore. i think they fell asleep. I'll go check on them and see if they're sleeping under the turkey

 

[cmom]

They need time to adjust to the turkey and when one gets brave enough to check it out others will follow. It just takes time. I put a roost in my cage and they love getting up and down on the roost.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Not being able to actually "see" your setup, I can't say why they're so active and noisy. But the noise now is not much compared to what grown laying hens will make, especially if a cockeral is in the bunch. Have a plan in place, because it will get louder when they mature.

Best of luck. I have 1.64 acres, with a coop in the heavy woods- yet all the neighbors know when an egg is laid.