My baby chicken loves me too much. What do I do?

[Ruckus]

We just got a little Serama chick that's about a week old. It has spent the last week of its life with two other chicks, and after a couple hours last night, it seemed to become incredibly attached to us. It peeps its poor little brains out if we stop LOOKING at it, and will not be satisfied until we take it out and let it cuddle with our hands. It seems to be perfectly comfortable with its cage (as long as one of our hands is inside of it), so I don't think it's an environmental thing. The heat lamp keeps it at 94-96ºF, it has fresh, clean water, plenty of medicated chicken crumbles, sawdust bedding, and even a little plastic castle to hide in. Last night, we took turns holding it until it got too sleepy to freak out anymore. The peeping isn't a big deal, but it flings itself against the cage and flaps desperately and leaps into the bars trying to get at us no matter where we are in the cabin. Our living space is only 15x20', so there's nowhere we can really go so that we're out of sight (and out of mind), and it doesn't get dark here (in Fairbanks, AK) now until almost 10:30, so it is just romping and stomping indefinitely. Can anyone give me an idea of how normal this is, whether there's anything we should be doing differently to make it a little less self-destructively clingy, etc.? We want a chicken that loves us, but we don't want a chicken that loves us TO DEATH. Thanks!

 

[SunnyDawn]

Awwwww, the poor thing sounds like it's going to hurt itself. I put clear acrylic panels on the inside of my brooder, about 12 inches up the sides, to keep the chicks from getting caught in the wire sides. Sounds like you also need to add a fabric cover to keep the baby serama from seeing you. At least at night. You need some sleep too!
Good luck!

 

[GraceAK]

You could fill a sock with rice and microwave it to simulate body-warmth?
I honestly have no idea.

 

[tammyd57]

He's lonely. Chicks don't do well all by themselves. He needs a buddy or two.

 

[drumstick diva]

Give him a nice stuffed animal to cuddle, or a duster so he can hide in the feathers. You can also give him a small mirror , so he can "see" another chick.

 

[Dora'smom]

Chicks are very social creatures, and it is difficult for one to stay by itself. The best thing to do is to get a little buddy or two for it, and some things that you can do for it in the meantime are, put a fuzzy toy in there with it to cuddle with, and a small mirror so that it can talk to the bird in the reflection. Either of these might help it to feel less alone.

 

[kelseygirl707]

Quote:
The Mirror works great! I have a single hatchling, and nobody around here sells chicks, so I put a mirror in the brooder and she sleeps next to it and talks with the beautiful chick in the mirror

. I actually wish she loved me a little more, but her love belongs to the chick in the mirror.

 

[SunnyDawn]

Did I misunderstand? I could have sworn the chick had 2 buddies already in there with it.
Quote:

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Sounds like the chick had been with two buddies, but the OP adopted it alone. That's my read, anyways. Yes, agree with everyone else that the chick needs a buddy, any buddy, near to its own size. No chicken does well on its own. i have a teeny button quail i got from a friend. i actually got several button quail but all died except one. He was beside himself, chirping, upset, flinging himself on the sides of the cage. i put in a feather fan which he liked and tried to hold him as much as possible, but he was still so distressed. Finally got him a little Silkie chick buddy. He is as happy as a clam now. Get your little guy a buddy.

 

[SilkieTime]

Put a old shirt in there. I have a mirrow for 5 chicks

need I say more? A little boiled egg yolk dash of probios on it. A little bit is good for them. Good germs for stress.