Confounded by Sicilian buttercup chicks shunning their heat cave

[azygous]

The night following bringing home two four-day old Buttercups, the power failed during the night and in the morning, these two babies seemed unfazed by their cold night which was in the mid 50s.

Ever since, the chicks being nearly two-weeks old now, they have refused the heating pad cave during the day. It's been in the 80s so it hasn't been surprising they needed no heat, but yesterday was very cool and last night was in the low 40s and cold enough I put on winter clothing this morning to feed and clean. What I discovered has me confounded.

Each night since I brought them home, the chicks refused to go into the heating pad cave and I've had to put them in as it got dark. This morning, there was no poop inside the cave, and a pile beside it where the chicks has obviously huddled all night. They seemed normal and healthy and active this morning, unlike what I would expect from chicks of this age who had been subjected to chill temps all night long.

I read that this breed is not cold tolerant, having originated in the Mediterranean. Are these two tiny polar bear cubs outliers or have others had similar experiences with this breed of chicks?

 

[azygous]

No one finds my thread interesting, it appears. Well, here's an update anyway.

I don't know why I didn't think of it before. I draped an old hand towel over the entrance to their heat cave when I stuffed them in last night. That shut out any ambient light that may have been luring them back out after I put them in. In worked. They slept under heat all night and it was around 39F.

I still don't understand why these two, and they only had each other to huddle with, didn't show any signs of chilling after spending the entire night out in the open in the run without any heat on a 40 degree night.

They are around two weeks old, have been sleeping in this heating pad cave for a week and a half, and they still haven't ever gone inside of their own volition. They will go to a corner of their pen and huddle together ignoring the warm cozy cave that's right beside food and water that they have no problem consuming.

I'm wondering if this breed is maybe a tad mentally challenged.

 

[cherrynberry]

No one finds my thread interesting, it appears. Well, here's an update anyway.

I don't know why I didn't think of it before. I draped an old hand towel over the entrance to their heat cave when I stuffed them in last night. That shut out any ambient light that may have been luring them back out after I put them in. In worked. They slept under heat all night and it was around 39F.

I still don't understand why these two, and they only had each other to huddle with, didn't show any signs of chilling after spending the entire night out in the open in the run without any heat on a 40 degree night.

They are around two weeks old, have been sleeping in this heating pad cave for a week and a half, and they still haven't ever gone inside of their own volition. They will go to a corner of their pen and huddle together ignoring the warm cozy cave that's right beside food and water that they have no problem consuming.

I'm wondering if this breed is maybe a tad mentally challenged.

You have great observation skills! I do not use a heat cave nor have I ever owned that breed. I have not raised very many chicks either, but all that I have raised cuddle under the heat lamp and move around during the day. Please keep updating!

 

[TheOddOneOut]

No one finds my thread interesting, it appears. Well, here's an update anyway.

I don't know why I didn't think of it before. I draped an old hand towel over the entrance to their heat cave when I stuffed them in last night. That shut out any ambient light that may have been luring them back out after I put them in. In worked. They slept under heat all night and it was around 39F.

I still don't understand why these two, and they only had each other to huddle with, didn't show any signs of chilling after spending the entire night out in the open in the run without any heat on a 40 degree night.

They are around two weeks old, have been sleeping in this heating pad cave for a week and a half, and they still haven't ever gone inside of their own volition. They will go to a corner of their pen and huddle together ignoring the warm cozy cave that's right beside food and water that they have no problem consuming.

I'm wondering if this breed is maybe a tad mentally challenged.

They sound hilarious though. Little buggers.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I find your thread both interesting and amusing. This is just the first time it popped up for me. Can we get a pic of these intrepid little clowns?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I read that this breed is not cold tolerant, having originated in the Mediterranean. Are these two tiny polar bear cubs outliers or have others had similar experiences with this breed of chicks?

Maybe Buttercups are just... special. I have one, and she's... well, decorative and that's about it (laid 2 eggs last year and has not laid since). But I've discovered overall that young chicks are a lot more cold tolerant than people think, as my heating pad has shut off on both my last two batches of chicks down in mid-40s, and everyone survived the night just fine.

 

[Tonyroo]

I don't know anyone with Sicilian Buttercup breed. Guess people on the forum don't either.

But your post was an interesting read. You never said where you got them from and why only 2 chicks?

 

[Htxchicks]

Maybe Buttercups are just... special. I have one, and she's... well, decorative and that's about it (laid 2 eggs last year and has not laid since). But I've discovered overall that young chicks are a lot more cold tolerant than people think, as my heating pad has shut off on both my last two batches of chicks down in mid-40s, and everyone survived the night just fine.

Wow my buttercup lays nearly daily and is my smartest chicken! She is very bossy and comes up to the door checks all the windows until she see someone to beg. Not for treats but to be let into the garage which is her favorite place to lay her eggs. She is always talking in her weird little voice and gets very insistent.

She never liked being handled even as a chick and could be described as flighty but like to perch on shoulders like a parrot when she feels like it she flies right on up. Good thing she’s so small.

survived the Texas freeze with no heat lamp at 5 weeks old… 30-40 degrees inside the house and all she had was her Cochin sister of the same age to cuddle.

one time I didn’t realize she had followed me in to the garage and I locked her in. It was summer and surely another chicken would have perished of heat stroke but there was Simone at the one garage window tapping to be let out. (Lesson learned always head count the chickens before closing garage)

 

[Htxchicks]

Simone letting me know she wants to hop up and Simone doing her best parrot impression. In my opinion they are great for free ranging smart and tolerant of the extreme Texas heat.

 

[RoyalChick]

I am interested - just saw the post for the first time. I would say you have some tough chicks there which is probably a good thing. I imagine they will feather out really fast too. Can we see pictures?