Noisy Chicks under hen?

[ahs]

I have four 8 day old chicks hatched under broody hen. Today I noticed very low, near constant cheeping every time I checked the coop today. They are under the hen and still making noise. It is not loud and is not their distress cry... I heard that the other day when I cleaned the coop.

Is it just chatter or something to worry about? All are eating, drinking, moving around as far as I can tell.

Mama has been leaving them alone in the nesting box a bit while she moved to the box next door and they eventually follow her. It has been COLD here, but in the sun the coop warms to about 30 degrees during the day. Today was the warmest day we have had and it was nearly 40 in the coop. Mama seemed a bit stir crazy today and the chicks can't navigate the ramp yet from our raised coop.

 

[Eggsakly]

I have three 3-day old chicks from a broody, and I moved them all indoors to house temperatures and gave them a heat lamp, too, by the time they were a few hours old. I'm so glad I did!

If it is too cold, they won't move around like they need to in order to eat, and freezing temperatures are much too cold. New chicks at 8 days old need temperatures at 90 degrees. Even in the house, one of my chicks left the nest and couldn't get back in and the new mama didn't know how to help it. By the time I heard the distress, the chick was hypothermic, shivering uncontrollably.

This was the first time for both me and my little hen, and I have some real regrets about being so ignorant and assuming she would be able to handle the cold. I was wrong. And it is not like I don't have a premium set up for my chickens, because they are in room/small cabin that has 6" of insulation, double-paned gas-filled windows, and a smaller coop, too, for warmth when roosting, AND, I gave them a heat lamp when temperatures dipped below the 20s outside.

It was a serious mistake. She didn't leave the nest enough to eat, and by the time I discovered it she was in a sad state. Fortunately, with a little TLC indoors, she has perked up quickly. Her stools are normal again (thank you, Lord), and she is getting some color back to her comb and healing.

Please look more closely and offer food and warmth and see if they are desperate for both.

 

[Eggsakly]

I apologize for my exaggeration above. Obviously, new chicks don't need constant 90 degrees when they have a mom, they go out briefly to eat and return to warm up, increasing their time away as they mature.

I will tell you, however, it is much easier on both the hen and the babies if it is warmer and close to what they need, especially when they are very young. I actually didn't give them additional heat the first night in the house, and when I did, boy did everyone relax and start to enjoy themselves a lot more! The difference was obvious, especially in my hen.

 

[ahs]

This was the first day I noticed the chirping. They have access to food and water and I have seen them eat and drink frequently. So cute to watch them all spill out of the nest. Then run back under mama. Their trips out from under have been prolonged and she keeps switching between the two nesting boxes, but the chicks find her.

 

[Eggsakly]

I just took this photo of my three. One is under the hen, and the other two are beside her chillin'. The little blondie had just drifted off to sleep when I woke it up taking the photo. You cannot see the third chick behind the blondie, but it also is sitting next to mom chillin'.

Now that I see how happy they are, I want to always give them this kind of mommy- and chick-hood. Their contentment is palpable.

 

[Alaskan]

I have four 8 day old chicks hatched under broody hen. Today I noticed very low, near constant cheeping every time I checked the coop today. They are under the hen and still making noise. It is not loud and is not their distress cry... I heard that the other day when I cleaned the coop.

Is it just chatter or something to worry about? All are eating, drinking, moving around as far as I can tell.

Mama has been leaving them alone in the nesting box a bit while she moved to the box next door and they eventually follow her. It has been COLD here, but in the sun the coop warms to about 30 degrees during the day. Today was the warmest day we have had and it was nearly 40 in the coop. Mama seemed a bit stir crazy today and the chicks can't navigate the ramp yet from our raised coop.

Not all hens make great mamas.

I would worry that SHE doesn't stress when the chicks peep.

She should run to the chicks, or keep calling to them when they peep and have trouble finding them.

With temperatures that cold... the hen must be a very attentive hen, or at least a few of the chicks will get lost and die.