Need help with Appenzeller Spitzhauben

[Deerlix]

Recently one of my Appenzeller Spitzhauben (3 weeks old) has been complaining alot recently, her sister was a partridge cochin and died to a hawk. Of course she has been complaining recently but I was wondering if there was a way to help her stop complaining? I have 10 other chickens and I really hope they could be friends.

 

[azygous]

Are the others the same age, three weeks? If not, this chick is probably very lonely, and it's not complaining, but crying out for the lost one to come back.

Chicks crave mates their same age, and their development and self confidence depends on being part of a unit of same aged chicks.

If you have no others the same age, then you need to install this youngster in a safe enclosure in the midst of the rest of the flock so it can begin to be accepted. It will also be less lonely that way, and should quiet down.

 

[Deerlix]

Are the others the same age, three weeks? If not, this chick is probably very lonely, and it's not complaining, but crying out for the lost one to come back.

Chicks crave mates their same age, and their development and self confidence depends on being part of a unit of same aged chicks.

If you have no others the same age, then you need to install this youngster in a safe enclosure in the midst of the rest of the flock so it can begin to be accepted. It will also be less lonely that way, and should quiet down.

The closest to the little chicks age, are about 1 and a half month olds. we've been letting her ouside and watching her but shes just terrified of all of the other chickens

 

[azygous]

She's terrified because chicks depend on others their own age for self confidence. It's going to be very difficult for this lone chick to grow up and be anything other than very timid and fearful.

The only thing you can do, unless you give her to someone who has three-week old chicks and can raise her with them, is to do as I suggested. The chick needs the company of other chickens, no matter how much older. But she's much too small and inexperienced to put her with the older ones. They will bully her and prevent her from growing any self confidence at all.

Her best bet is to grow up alongside the others in her own protected space, and when she gets big enough, gradually let her begin to mingle with the others with frequent time-outs from the stress of the pecking order until she gains enough courage to wing it on her own.

 

[Deerlix]

She's terrified because chicks depend on others their own age for self confidence. It's going to be very difficult for this lone chick to grow up and be anything other than very timid and fearful.

The only thing you can do, unless you give her to someone who has three-week old chicks and can raise her with them, is to do as I suggested. The chick needs the company of other chickens, no matter how much older. But she's much too small and inexperienced to put her with the older ones. They will bully her and prevent her from growing any self confidence at all.

Her best bet is to grow up alongside the others in her own protected space, and when she gets big enough, gradually let her begin to mingle with the others with frequent time-outs from the stress of the pecking order until she gains enough courage to wing it on her own.

So do I just.. put her in a cage in the middle of the yard? the yard is half an acre. She probably would be chirping alot when shes confined. Since the Appenzeller Spitzhauben breed is a free ranging bird.

 

[azygous]

Three weeks is awfully small to free range. She needs size and experience first.

I would set her up in the run in a safe pen for now. In another week or so, you can try opening up some doors in her cage so she can venture out if she chooses, having the option to return to her refuge if she gets scared. But I have doubts she will venture out of the run to free range. Chicks know when they're easy prey for hawks and other varmints who might swoop in and nab them.

Is her cage set up so she could come and go through small openings that are too small for the others to get in? If not, it's easy to convert a cage to a panic room by removing the door and fastening some hardware cloth over the opening that has a little door cut out. When you're done using it as a panic room, you can convert it back into a cage by replacing the door.

Part of her loud peeping when she's alone is calling the others to come back. I have four eight-day old chicks who peep up a storm when the flock is let out to free range. "Hey! Where did everybody go? Come back! Come back this minute!" They are anything but lonely, having each other. As they get older and feel a part of the flock, they will scold the big chickens when they go into the coop to roost, leaving them behind in their brooder pen. But they will be joining the big chickens in the coop in just four more weeks.

Keep posting so this remains on the first page, and maybe you'll get some advice from folks who have dealt with a similar situation.

 

[Deerlix]

Three weeks is awfully small to free range. She needs size and experience first.

I would set her up in the run in a safe pen for now. In another week or so, you can try opening up some doors in her cage so she can venture out if she chooses, having the option to return to her refuge if she gets scared. But I have doubts she will venture out of the run to free range. Chicks know when they're easy prey for hawks and other varmints who might swoop in and nab them.

Is her cage set up so she could come and go through small openings that are too small for the others to get in? If not, it's easy to convert a cage to a panic room by removing the door and fastening some hardware cloth over the opening that has a little door cut out. When you're done using it as a panic room, you can convert it back into a cage by replacing the door.

Part of her loud peeping when she's alone is calling the others to come back. I have four eight-day old chicks who peep up a storm when the flock is let out to free range. "Hey! Where did everybody go? Come back! Come back this minute!" They are anything but lonely, having each other. As they get older and feel a part of the flock, they will scold the big chickens when they go into the coop to roost, leaving them behind in their brooder pen. But they will be joining the big chickens in the coop in just four more weeks.

Keep posting so this remains on the first page, and maybe you'll get some advice from folks who have dealt with a similar situation.

its all confusing to me, but ill try my best.

 

[azygous]

It's confusing because you have a legitimately complicated problem. When I'm facing a complex set of issues, I isolate each one and look at it separately. That way, I can address one at a time, instead of everything thrown into the mix at once.

The most critical of the issues is this chick's age. It's just three weeks old, and it's inexperienced, small, and has no self confidence yet. It would still be glued to its broody mama if it had been hatched by one. It needs protection and guidance.

So that's your most pressing problem - protecting the chick from danger. It isn't ready to free range yet because it would be picked off by predators. Even in an urban setting, a jay or owl or feral cat or dog could kill it, or even one of the older chickens might injure it.

Chicks grow fast, and they learn quickly. Keep it safe and where it can be around the others and it will soon be ready to join them safely.

 

[Deerlix]

It's confusing because you have a legitimately complicated problem. When I'm facing a complex set of issues, I isolate each one and look at it separately. That way, I can address one at a time, instead of everything thrown into the mix at once.

The most critical of the issues is this chick's age. It's just three weeks old, and it's inexperienced, small, and has no self confidence yet. It would still be glued to its broody mama if it had been hatched by one. It needs protection and guidance.

So that's your most pressing problem - protecting the chick from danger. It isn't ready to free range yet because it would be picked off by predators. Even in an urban setting, a jay or owl or feral cat or dog could kill it, or even one of the older chickens might injure it.

Chicks grow fast, and they learn quickly. Keep it safe and where it can be around the others and it will soon be ready to join them safely.

So...do I put her in the brooder inside? She chirps alot more, and I have no idea if Ill get sleep with her chirping

 

[Deerlix]

It's confusing because you have a legitimately complicated problem. When I'm facing a complex set of issues, I isolate each one and look at it separately. That way, I can address one at a time, instead of everything thrown into the mix at once.

The most critical of the issues is this chick's age. It's just three weeks old, and it's inexperienced, small, and has no self confidence yet. It would still be glued to its broody mama if it had been hatched by one. It needs protection and guidance.

So that's your most pressing problem - protecting the chick from danger. It isn't ready to free range yet because it would be picked off by predators. Even in an urban setting, a jay or owl or feral cat or dog could kill it, or even one of the older chickens might injure it.

Chicks grow fast, and they learn quickly. Keep it safe and where it can be around the others and it will soon be ready to join them safely.

I put her in the brooder inside and shes chirping up a storm, sometimes she stops then starts again, do I just ignore the chirping but I check on her every once in a while?