Please help with peachicks crying!

[justajem]

First off, take full responsibility for not doing enough research on the breed.

Last week I hatched two peachicks from eggs. I have raised Guinea hens and chickens without any issues. Silly me figured they were all going to be the same. Nope. Both of the peachicks are in a room across from my bedroom. Day one there was no problems. But on day two they started peeping extremely loud and pacing the cage. They have plenty of food water and their cage is the correct temperature.

Finally after a long time of the peeping I could not take it anymore so I put them in a little blanket and laid them on the bed with me. I think that act alone did me in.

If I am not holding them they are freaking out. They pace across the front of the cage really fast and never stop peeping and it's not just a little peep it's extremely loud. And it doesn't seem to ever end. I thought they would get tired and fall asleep or get hungry and eat but they will literally do this for 2-3 hours until I pick them up. The problem lies in the fact that I cannot hold them all day. And I certainly cannot have them in bed with me much longer.

My husband has been out of town and he will be returning next week and there's no way he's going to want screaming birds across from our bedroom or in our bed.

I feel like a bit of a failure because I've always been successful with my other birds. I didn't know about imprinting until now. We have a shed with proper protection and heat I tried putting them in there today and of course they were people in their little heads off. After an hour I brought them back in the house.

Just as I was ready to give up today, I looked down and they were running down the hall towards me. They hopped out of their cardboard box to find me. If they are being held, or are within arms reach me they are happy as speckled puppies. The minute they can't see me they go crazy . I love the breed so much and I really wanted these creatures but I don't know if I can handle the peeping if it never ends.

This has me so bummed out and stressed I could really use some advice.

 

[Peafowlssssssss]

I think its just because they think you are their mom and they don't feel safe when you leave, but usually if it was lonely chick it will cry all the time, and these are two they shouldn't feel lonely.

Hoping someone will give you some advice.

 

[MinxFox]

Welcome to the world of imprinted peachicks! That is just how it is with peachicks that imprint to you. I have one that hatched today that is crying for me right now. I have another one that is a few weeks old that cries a lot for me too.

You just have to come up with creative ways to keep them quiet. Eventually they will stop crying so much especially when they are old enough to go in an outside peachick pen. When mine get bigger I put them outside in a peachick pen that is off of the ground.

My Mom woke up last night and screamed at the older peachick because he was crying really loudly at night. I couldn't hear him at all from my room.

Since yours were able to jump out of their box you will have to put a covering over it now. Peachicks can fly at around 5 days old. I keep peachicks in a baby crib with a thin bed sheet clipped to the top to keep them from flying out. I cover the baby crib with a few layers of newspaper and paper towels on top of the newspaper for good traction.

I have come up with several methods to keep peachicks quiet. One thing they like is to get under your hair. I don't know how long your hair is but mine is fairly long and I put the peachick on my shoulder and put my hair over the peachick. The peachick likes the warmth and will make happy trilling noises and fall asleep or at least be more quiet. I have never had it poop on me when it is lying on my shoulder in my hair but you can put a small wash cloth on your shoulder just incase and I always wear a T-shirt when I do this. Speaking of a T-shirt, you can place the peachick folded up in the bottom of your T-shirt or in your shirt sleeve as long as you are not moving much like say on the computer or watching TV. You can get a padded lunchbox and zip the peachick up in there leaving an opening for it to get fresh air. Usually the lunchbox method will make them go silent because it is dark and warm and they fall right asleep. Yet another option is getting a feather boa and putting it overtop of the peachick. The feathers are light, soft, and warm and the peachick will usually fall asleep but they might poop so don't use a boa you really love or use a lot.

You can tire the peachicks out by taking them outside for some bug hunting. I try to take my peachick out 2 times a day to hunt for bugs in piles of leaves and in the grass. This peachick that I hatched today will get to do all of that eventually once it gets stronger and its leg and toes are fixed. I walk outside with the peachick following me and I make sure I walk around a good bit to give the peachick a work out and also get it tired. Then we go bugging in piles of leaves. I rake the leaves back and help the peachick catch bugs. Then usually the peachick is really calm and tired after a trip outside.

At night putting the peachicks as far away from the bedroom as possible is a good idea. Also if you have a fan in your bedroom turn it on to full or almost full power to drown out the peachick crying noise. All of their crying might make you feel sorry for them, but they will eventually tire themselves out and quit to eat, drink, and sleep. The good thing is they have each other. Just make sure you spend time with them when you can.

 

[AugeredIn]

You'll hate this but.......Take them out in the garage where you cannot hear them. Ignore them. I am not kidding. Peachicks are the whiniest things ever. It does not matter if you have two of them or 50 of them. They whine endlessly for several days until they get over it.

 

[justajem]

Long hair, and yes they love going in it. I appreciate your long response. The boa made me laugh. I already feel insane as it is, wearing a boa with Pea chicks and it may just take me over the edge.

 

[justajem]

Welcome to the world of imprinted peachicks! That is just how it is with peachicks that imprint to you. I have one that hatched today that is crying for me right now. I have another one  that is a few weeks old that cries a lot for me too.

You just have to come up with creative ways to keep them quiet. Eventually they will stop crying so much especially when they are old enough to go in an outside peachick pen. When mine get bigger I put them outside in a peachick pen that is off of the ground.

My Mom woke up last night and screamed at the older peachick because he was crying really loudly at night. I couldn't hear him at all from my room.

Since yours were able to jump out of their box you will have to put a covering over it now. Peachicks can fly at around 5 days old. I keep peachicks in a baby crib with a thin bed sheet clipped to the top to keep them from flying out. I cover the baby crib with a few layers of newspaper and paper towels on top of the newspaper for good traction.

I have come up with several methods to keep peachicks quiet. One thing they like is to get under your hair. I don't know how long your hair is but mine is fairly long and I put the peachick on my shoulder and put my hair over the peachick. The peachick likes the warmth and will make happy trilling noises and fall asleep or at least be more quiet. I have never had it poop on me when it is lying on my shoulder in my hair but you can put a small wash cloth on your shoulder just incase and I always wear a T-shirt when I do this. Speaking of a T-shirt, you can place the peachick folded up in the bottom of your T-shirt or in your shirt sleeve as long as you are not moving much like say on the computer or watching TV. You can get a padded lunchbox and zip the peachick up in there leaving an opening for it to get fresh air. Usually the lunchbox method will make them go silent because it is dark and warm and they fall right asleep. Yet another option is getting a feather boa and putting it overtop of the peachick. The feathers are light, soft, and warm and the peachick will usually fall asleep but they might poop so don't use a boa you really love or use a lot.

You can tire the peachicks out by taking them outside for some bug hunting. I try to take my peachick out 2 times a day to hunt for bugs in piles of leaves and in the grass. This peachick that I hatched today will get to do all of that eventually once it gets stronger and its leg and toes are fixed. I walk outside with the peachick following me and I make sure I walk around a good bit to give the peachick a work out and also get it tired. Then we go bugging in piles of leaves. I rake the leaves back and help the peachick catch bugs. Then usually the peachick is really calm and tired after a trip outside.

At night putting the peachicks as far away from the bedroom as possible is a good idea. Also if you have a fan in your bedroom turn it on to full or almost full power to drown out the peachick crying noise. All of their crying might make you feel sorry for them, but they will eventually tire themselves out and quit to eat, drink, and sleep. The good thing is they have each other. Just make sure you spend time with them when you can.

I think its just because they think you are their mom and they don't feel safe when you leave, but usually if it was lonely chick it will cry all the time, and these are two they shouldn't feel lonely.

Hoping someone will give you some advice.

I responded to you and an additional post on this board. I'm still new at this whole thing. Thank you for your advice .

 

[justajem]

You'll hate this but.......Take them out in the garage where you cannot hear them.  Ignore them.  I am not kidding.  Peachicks are the whiniest things ever.  It does not matter if you have two of them or 50 of them.  They whine endlessly for several days until they get over it.

Thank you for the advice. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet but that's definitely an option I've considered. It seems like there's two camps on this one that believe in imprinting and be in the mama and the other old-school put them in the garage and let them cry.

Part of me was just so afraid that their little hearts would stop or something because they get so upset !

 

[MinxFox]

I think if you can find a balance between the two that is good. Of course it depends on what you want to do. If it was just a lone peachick I would say you definitely need to give it attention but since you have two that is a better situation.

I probably give mine too much attention.

 

[zazouse]

As everyone said welcome to the world of imprinted peas Do you have any guinea keets? i always hatch keets with my peafowl because they make great brooder mates for them, they help me tremendously when trying to ween a wee pea from me.
A stuffed animal may help some also

 

[AugeredIn]

Thank you for the advice. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet but that's definitely an option I've considered. It seems like there's two camps on this one that believe in imprinting and be in the mama and the other old-school put them in the garage and let them cry.

Part of me was just so afraid that their little hearts would stop or something because they get so upset !

For us it is not so much what we want to do as much as it is what is necessary. We don't hatch 2 at a time, we hatch 30 at a time. Numbers don't seem to help, they still whine even in big groups. With those numbers you cannot play with them and imprint them.