One very loud BO chick. Thoughts?

[ninabeast]

I just brought home my very first day olds about 2 hours ago (SO excited!!!!): 3, BO, 3 BR, 3, PR, 3 LB. All have watered, fed, slept and seem to be doing very well. They're even coming to an outstretched hand, which tickles me pink.

Q: One BO chick is making loud cheeping noises, pretty much constantly. She's eaten and had water, and I've tried lowering the heat lamp in case she was cold, but it didn't seem to have any effect on her behaviour. The rest of the chicks seem very happy with the brooder temp. Is it possible she's just naturally mouthy? Or should I be looking for another cause?

Please advise, oh, wise chicken people!

 

[birds4me]

Try picking her up and hold her under the lamp. If this quiets her then she is still cold. If it doesn't, but she quiets when you just hold her, then just give her some extra love and one on one time. If this quiets her down, make her a "nest" with a dish towel or give her a small stuffed animal. Sometimes they just need their own cuddley!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Are you sure the chick is drinking? I had a chick one time that did that distress peeping the day after I put them in the brooder. I dipped all the beaks when I put them in and the others were drinking. After I dipped the beak again, it stopped peeping and drank a lot.

 

[ninabeast]

She is eating and drinking but I will give it another try. I will also try lifting her to the light, although she peeps even louder when picked up. There are periods of quiet now, so maybe she was just scared and needed some time to adjust.

Thanks!

 

[FMAFarms]

Sounds like your little BO chick is trying to tell you something! Spend some time observing the chick and note:

Where she sits/stands/hangs out... is it directly underneath the brooder lamp (too cold), is she wandering around the brooder (she's fine, temp wise -- it's a different issue), or is she as far from the heat lamp as possible (too hot)?

Whether she is drinking on her own... is she actually tilting her head back and swallowing (actually drinking), or is she just hanging out by the waterer without actually drinking (wanting to drink but either too weak to tilt her head or unable to reach the water level)?

Is she eating on her own... again, is she helping herself to the food (actually eating) or is she ignoring it completely (unwilling to eat)? Is she just leaning near the feeder (wanting to eat but cannot for assorted reasons) or pacing in front of it (wanting to eat and either can't reach the food or the crumbles are too big for her to swallow)?

Has she pooped yet (very important!)?

How are the other chicks treating her? Are they pecking at her toes, walking over her, ignoring her completely?

She also may be complaining about her new environment. Observe, take notes, and let us know!

 

[ninabeast]

Sorry it took so long to respond; I haven't been able to get near the computer...

Thanks for your valuable suggestions. The peeping didn't change from zone to zone, so it wasn't temperature. She stopped after about another hour, so maybe she was having difficulty with her first poop. I ended up sleeping next to the brooder last night (THAT'S embarrassing!), so I can report that all was quiet and calm all night last night, with the exception of my cat, Lucius Malfoy, circling the Great Dane crate inside which the brooder is housed, convinced he could find an opening if he just looked hard enough (he couldn't and he won't). I have a great pic of him watching the babies from above, which I would post if I could just figure out how on this site.

 

[Sinfonian]

Funny, my Buff orp cheeps all the time too she's 3 weeks old and growing fine. I just think she's a chatty cathy. I know some people like that too. It isn't annoying... Yet. Hehe. I'm guessing yours is fine too. Enjoy!

 

[TeamChaos]

I was just going to mention that several of my chicks have sounded quite distressed both before and after their first few poops. I always wipe vents with a warm, wet paper towel corner just in case they need a little help passing it. Fun times, I tell you! ha ha ha

 

[definetlydeb]

Hi there, pretty much a newbie here, but...I had one of my baby chicks...Peep, Peep and Peep some more when I first got them...She (I hope) has turned out to be the dominant one(even thought they are just now 4 weeks)...and still to this day, peeps alot...I think she just wanted(s) attention....I tried all the heat, water, food, bedding and nothing quieted her...she is just plan my "Miss Lippy"!! Good luck and hopefully you will find as I did, just a loud mouth, really happy and wants you to know it!!! Lovin' my Peeps!!!

 

[ninabeast]

Yes, I had wondered if she just wasn't the annoying, perky extrovert at the mellow party.

It's Day Two here and everything is going smoothly. My goodness, but they can poop! I swear, they are 50% larger than when I brought them home 28 hours ago. As a first-timer, it's astonishing and very affecting. I can see getting very attached to these girls very quickly...