Chicks may be bored. Am I crazy?

[Hopeful Peacock]

I have 3, one+ week old chicks. Their brooder is a medium to large size wire dog crate, lined with cardboard. They seem happy and healthy a lot of the time. I've given them cut up grapes (and grit) and they LOVE that. They were also jumping up onto the cardboard (about 6 inches high) and escaping through the bars of the crate

, but I added more cardboard to prevent this to save them from the cat. But, sometimes they come out from under the brinsea brooder and just peep and PEEP!!! It is as though they are calling me, or complaining? Sometimes I take them out and cuddle them. They seem to both like that and be nervous about it. Anyway, am I nuts?

(It's *very* possible.) Anything else I can give them to kepe them busy? Or am I just imagining this?

I am getting 7 more chicks tomorrow,

so at least they'll have more friends.

 

[gryeyes]

Chickens ARE social animals, hard-wired into being most comfortable in flocks. You may find they are happier with more buddies.
But I think, sometimes, they just call out for a mommy, too.

 

[louclare]

Our little flock of eight nine day old chicks looked like they were getting bored and picking on each other - until we dug up a little piece of grass and dirt and put it in the brooder. They went crazy. It keeps them busy for hours. And to be honest it keeps us busy for hours watching them too! They peck at it, scratch at it, run away in fear, come back, fight over tiny grass particles, it is too funny. And no more boredom or pecking for the chickies. Just make sure the grass has not been treated with pesticides!

 

[Batty about Banties]

Quote:
what a great idea!!!

 

[lady feathers]

Oh I'm certain they get bored! I have two areas right now for brooding the chicks in the smaller pen seemed like they had a little too much time on their hands and were starting to become a bit mischievious (overnight we lost some tails on our darker colored silkies to some picking by the white ones) so I rearranged (changed where the light sat, waterer and feeder, added a block of wood to get up onto and off of, no more problems... maybe like us they need a home makeover once in a while (they have the same four walls to stare at 24/7 for 6 weeks-Ughhhhh!).

Also I've tried chick treat blocks from FFH(like TSC), added some old wooden shelves on their sides for low to the ground roosts (they love em), an old metal plant stand incase they wanted to try reaching new hieghts and have contemplated putting a small golfball sized plastic ball in there for them to chase around..... also have heard about people tying canning rings and other shiny objects to strings and hanging from the roof so they have something pretty to pick at (besides themselves). I figure the more I change things up add/remove some items and give them more to do the less problems I will have to face when it comes to boredom/picking/fighting.

Happy chicks make happy hens! Have fun and be creative, play with them while you can.

 

[h8snags]

Mine definately get bored! I put a door on the side of my brooder (in our kitchen) so they could come out and have chick recess! They were about a week old when we did that. It seems when they want out the peeping gets louder! Let me out! Let me out! I block off the kitchen and open the door, out they come!! Running, hopping, and even flying around! It's so funny! Then they mellow out after about 5 minutes and after about a half an hour they go back in their brooder where they eat, drink, then fall asleep from having so much fun!! I even sit on the floor with them, where they climb onto my legs and fall asleep! Not sure who is having more fun, me or the chickens!

 

[PetRock]

We put an old teddy bear in the brooder with our 1-2 wk old chicks. They love him! They climb all over him, sleep behind him sometimes with their heads poking out underneath his arm, and peck at his mouth & eyes. Yesterday, I put a 4 in left over piece of 3 in PVC pipe in the brooder. I put some of their food in the pipe and they go at it from both ends. Only one fits in each end at a time and the other ones walk around them trying to figure out how to squeeze in. We are planning on moving them into a bigger brooder this weekend. It will have a roosting board and a few other play structures. New things are entertaining for both the chicks and the people watching chick TV!

 

[Magenta_Chick]

Quote:
That is a really nifty idea, I am going to have to try it!