Need reassurance....chirpy chick

[Erin80]

My 2 Ameraucana chicks are 4 days old. Now both of them are chirping like CRAZY every time I leave the room. Their brooder is clean and 82 degrees (any warmer and they are sleeping away from the heat), they have food and water. As soon as they hear my voice, they charge towards me and try to jump/fly over the brooder wall to get at me. If I sit there and put my hand in the brooder and talk to them or hold them, they go to sleep or just hang out happily on my hand or lap. They freak out as soon as I put them back in their brooder and have to walk away, and it goes on and on. They were on the carpet yesterday beside me, and I got up and walked a few steps...and they ran full speed after me. Is this normal chick behaviour?! I've never owned chicks this young....the youngest prior to these guys were 2 weeks old and didn't do this. We are getting 2 four day old Icelandic chicks today to add in with the Ameraucana's....maybe that will help?

 

[KoopOnTruckin]

They definitely sound like they're attached to you! My guess is that it's cause you only have 2 and they're lonely (flock animals and all...), you may want to add a mirror on one of the brooder walls.

 

[PD-Riverman]

82 is to cold for 4 day old chicks, they should be 90 to 95 in just one heated spot about the size of a plate---not the whole brooder. Heat on one end---food and water on the other. Good Luck

Edited to add-----some times we create our own problems------spoiling them!! LOL

 

[Erin80]

It was 92 but one of them was wobbling when it walked and seemed very out of it. They were also sleeping away from the heat....so I figured it was too hot. Now they sleep under the light and seem comfortable....they just freak out when I leave the room.

 

[Erin80]

I thought maybe it was because I only have two as well. Hoping adding two more tonight will help. We have 8 others but the age gap is too big so I can't put them together yet.

 

[PD-Riverman]

It was 92 but one of them was wobbling when it walked and seemed very out of it. They were also sleeping away from the heat....so I figured it was too hot. Now they sleep under the light and seem comfortable....they just freak out when I leave the room.

Like I said---you should have only one small area heated to around 90/95 for the first few days, then they have all the other area to get away from the heat. If you are trying to heat the whole brooder to 92 degree's----that's not the proper way to do it----only one area---the rest of the brooder unheated.

 

[Erin80]

Only one area was 92. The brooder is a kiddie pool....so the light is only shining on part of it.

 

[KoopOnTruckin]

Yes, 90-95 is the best temp for the first week or so. I live in FL and my brooder is outside, but I still turn on the heat during the evenings to keep it around 95, week 2 90, week 3 85, then outside ("YOYO chicks!").

 

[PD-Riverman]

If you are using a big hot heat lamp bulb---you do not need it, drop to a lot smaller bulb and lower the light in on one end to around 90 to 95 degree's on the floor---leave the food and water on the other end----you might rest better if you do not spoil them as much---LOL

 

[PD-Riverman]

Only one area was 92. The brooder is a kiddie pool....so the light is only shining on part of it.

A kiddie pool will not hold them in a day or two without a top on it.