My chicks are peeping so loud...

[Andora]

And I'm going crazy! Their peeps are EARSPLITTING.

This is not the first batch of chicks I've raised at all, so I know to see if they are hot/cold, out of food and water, scared, etc. Everything is fine as far as I can tell. They have a heat lamp on their wire cage, and they can get totally out from under the light of the lamp or get warm directly underneath it. Their body language doesn't seem like they are cold or anything, they won't even go under the lamp. They aren't panting and laying down either. They're acting normal, walking around, and doing that hysterical and loud peep-cry. They have plenty of mash and fresh water. Their bedding is clean and dry--they're on newspaper with a layer of paper towels and a few pine shavings scattered on top. They're about two weeks old, all healthy and have wings that are feathered out now.

What could be wrong? They've been peeping loudly for several hours non-stop. By far this is the loudest batch of chicks I have ever raised, no idea why. But usually they aren't quite THIS loud.

Help! The peeping is loud in my entire house, even with the doors closed. It's insanely loud. I am at a loss as to what else I can do...why are they crying?? My ears are ringing. They are falling asleep standing up while peeping, the poor things look so pathetic.

 

[SimplyForties]

If you pick one up, can you calm it?

 

[wanda047]

My poults did this most of night last night. After several hours of listening to them, I discovered what their problem was. I had moved their brooder to another room, away from the other two brooders (chicks). They could no longer see their former roommates and apparently were missing them.

I had originally placed the newly hatched turkey poults with my silkie chicks when they first hatched. They imitated everything the silkies did... eating, drinking, etc. It didn't take long though for the poults to outgrow the silkie chicks, and in an effort to protect the smaller birds, separate them. After having to add the third brooder (newer chicks), I decided to move the much larger and smellier poults to the back of the house. They were not very happy about their new living arrangements.

Maybe something has changed in their environment to upset your chicks??

 

[Judy]

If they won't go under the lamp, I would raise it higher or change to a lower watt bulb, esp. if they are indoors.

Might look carefully at the feed for mold; this is the time of year; you could even have bought a bad bag.

Can't think of anything else to try....

 

[HippieChickens]

.

 

[onthespot]

check if one has a pasty butt crusted shut.

 

[elmo]

I'm learning that our chicks like routine. We have one three week old, and four one week old chicks. Every night, we take them out of their brooder and weigh them before settling them in for the night. Last night, we were all tired, so we just skipped the weighing.

The chicks would not settle in for the night! They complained so loudly and so long that we gave in and weighed them. Then when we put them back in the brooder, they settled in and went to sleep as usual.

I agree with the other poster. Try to think whether anything has changed in your chicks' routine that could be upsetting them.

 

[RL]

Maybe they want to roost. I didn't have any roost in my coop when I first put my chicks out and they would get that way. I rigged up a 2x4; they hop up on it almost as soon as put it up. They don't do the loud chirping sessions any more.

 

[Andora]

I figured it out. I had put in a rabbit waterer that morning, and one brahma/ee chick was terrified of it, which is also why they wouldn't go under the heat lamp. Too close to the evil waterer monster! That chick's loud peeping was freaking out the rest. As soon as I took him out and held him to quiet him, the rest walked under the heat lamp and promptly passed out cold.

 

[Judy]

Wow.