Chicks noisy out of boredom?

[Patterson Farmer]

This is my first time raising chicks. They are 3 weeks old, feathering nicely, and have access to a Titan brooder (that they hardly ever use anymore, even at night). Eleven chicks in total, and I set up their temporary home/brooder in an old bathtub, with a wire cage on top to keep them from hopping out.

I've read that noisy chicks are unhappy chicks. Does this mean hardly any chirping at all throughout the day? All they do is chirp! They are quiet while fast asleep all night but they wake us up as soon as the sun comes up and they barely stop. Their behaviour tells me they aren't cold. They have access to water (2 bottles with chicken nipples) and food (organic chick starter). This past week we have been letting them outside when the weather is good, making sure they have access to water, their food, and some shade. They are super happy out there chasing bugs and scratching in the dirt, but certainly not quiet out there either. So when people say 'noisy chicks are unhappy chicks' are they referring to the amount of chirping, or the volume?

Here are my questions:

1) Now that they've been outside, does their brooder seem boring? And is a bathtub a good size for 11 chicks?

2) Could I move them into their permanent outdoor coop now? They aren't fully feathered, but couldn't I just plug the Titan brooder in there with them? Temps are in the 70's during the day but are meant to go down to a low of 50 at night later this week.

3) I noticed that when we put them into plastic container we're using to carry them from their brooder to outside, that the chicks themselves smell funny. Like, funny bad. Is that just how these animals smell? Obviously I don't expect chickens to smell like roses, but how bad is 'bad' before I should look into that?

4) We are leaving for 4 days later this week, and we have my father-in-law that will come and stay here while we're gone. But I doubt he will take them in and out for some outdoor time and I just can't imagine them being in their brooder for that long now that they've experienced fresh air and some more freedom. I guess I'm just not sure what to do. They can't possibly be happy in such a small space.

Thank you!

 

[rjohns39]

Hi. I move mine out doors at three weeks. As far as their chirps, you'll learn them over time. They will tell you when they are happy, when they are afraid, when they are unhappy, when they are hungry and so on... And they will change their chirps as they grow older. #3 concerns me a bit, what kind of bedding are you using in the brooder?

 

[azygous]

Yes and yes to the first two questions. Of course your chicks have gotten a taste of freedom and space and they do remember. They have small brains but not so small they can't figure out when they're being kept from something they need and desire instinctively. It's time to move them into their permanent quarters. If they are your first chicks, you could have brooded them right in the coop instead of a bathtub.

The odor, if more sour than putrid, may be from some of them having sour crop, a deadly condition that needs immediate treatment. Examine your chicks individually. Feel the crop in the morning first thing before they begin to eat anything. If full, suspect sour or impacted crop.

The odor is coming from inside the chick, not from outside in the case of sour crop. Smell the chick's head. Is the odor stronger on that chick. You definitely have sour crop or impacted crop to treat if you detect it on that chick. This could also account for the constant peeping. Sick chicks peep continually.

 

[lazy gardener]

There's a difference between talking, and complaining. As you get to know your birds, you'll definitely know the difference. Chicks don't smell bad, though their environment can smell bad if not kept clean, and they can then pick up odor from the litter as they dust bathe in it. IMO, a sour smell could come from feed getting mixed into the litter. damp feed stinks to high heavens. I agree that they could and should be living in a secure coop and run by now. You could give them a huddle box to make that transition.

 

[Patterson Farmer]

Thanks for the reassurance everyone. So today when I put them outside, and took the opportunity to clean their bedding, I noticed that one of the water nipples must have been leaking and so a bunch of the pine shavings were soaked. That must have been causing the smell I noticed on them yesterday. Just to be sure, when I was putting them back inside at the end of the day, I sniffed each bird one by one (my kids were laughing at me ) and they all smelled like...nothing. So, phew. My husband and I are going to put the finishing touches up on their coop tomorrow and introduce them to their permanent home. So excited for this transition!!

 

[Patterson Farmer]

If they are your first chicks, you could have brooded them right in the coop instead of a bathtub.

I wish I had known this! Everything I have read (and I've read a lot!) has highlighted the importance of making baby chicks an indoor brooder space. But in mid-summer, I just didn't really understand the logic. Mind you, our coop wouldn't have been ready anyway, but I probably would have timed things differently. Oh well, now I know! Thank you

 

[azygous]

Here on BYC, we've been coming up with new and different ways of brooding chicks. Did you see my block of articles at the bottom of the posting window? I have one on brooding chicks outdoors and all the interesting things I discovered as to how it benefits the chicks.

The old ways of doing stuff may be okay. But there are other options that can actually work better for chicks and humans.