OK so my baby chick, Ivory, who is a runt (his growth was stunted due to poor protein intake, but as soon as I fed him more grower pellets and cooked egg his development has increased at an amazing rate!) and is 72 days old as of today, lives in his own brooder box in my bedroom. He was the only chick to hatch in my homemade bator for a test hatch (there were 2 eggs, he was the only one that hatched). So anyway, when he was younger he used to be very loud and restless whenever I wasn't nearby and he was in his brooder box. He would pace around and peep loudly at night and t would drive me crazy!
I added a mirror (which he still has now) and it helped a tiny bit, but it never really helped too much. When I got him on the higher protein/vitamin diet, he seemed MUCH less restless and was fine at night. I moved him to a bigger box (which he is in now) a few weeks ago and he seems to like it. Just last weekend I switched his bedding from newspaper to pine shavings. He's still on his diet of chick starter (and he's still a little underdeveloped for his age, but he's catching up!) and he always has food and water available, but tonight he seems very restless and it's keeping me up! It's 12:30 A.M. here and that leaves me 5 hours of sleep before school in the morning, and he keeps pacing around in his brooder box and peeping loudly!
I tried turning off his light to maybe help him sleep (he always has his light on for warmth) but that made him peep and pace around in his box more (only this time he couldn't see where he was pacing, so he kept standing against the wall, pecking it and peeping really loudly!)
He is not yet big enough to jump out of the large plastic storage tote, but he is getting pretty big. But still, he has plenty of room, so his brooder box isn't too small.
Why is he doing this and what can help him??? He isn't peeping anymore at the moment (finally went to sleep) but when I turn off the light and start to go back to bed, he wakes back up. Light comes back on and I check on him and say hi to him to comfort him, he seems fine, I go back to bed, and starts all over again.
It's not only the loud noises he's making that's keeping me up, but I feel bad for him because he's always pacing around and looking up at the top of the brooder box as if he wants to jump out. He's still a bit too small to join the rest of the flock and he hasn't been near them at all so hasn't had a chance to get used to them, so for now he's staying in his box as long as it's big enough for him, which it currently is.
Any thoughts??? Am I just worrying too much about him being lonely or something? Yeah I know I spoil him and give him loads of attention
, but will always checking on him make him want to jump out of his box even more? Should I just ignore him and go to sleep? I just feel bad for him when I see him pacing around and calling for me because I can see him from my bed.
Other than his restlessness he's acting normal (eating, drinking, etc.) and it's warm enough for him. He will go and try to snuggle up to the light but will lay down for a few seconds, stand up and look up at the top of the brooder box and then pace around again.
Thanks! I hope I get some sleep tonight.
Why is he doing this and what can help him??? He isn't peeping anymore at the moment (finally went to sleep) but when I turn off the light and start to go back to bed, he wakes back up. Light comes back on and I check on him and say hi to him to comfort him, he seems fine, I go back to bed, and starts all over again.
It's not only the loud noises he's making that's keeping me up, but I feel bad for him because he's always pacing around and looking up at the top of the brooder box as if he wants to jump out. He's still a bit too small to join the rest of the flock and he hasn't been near them at all so hasn't had a chance to get used to them, so for now he's staying in his box as long as it's big enough for him, which it currently is.
Any thoughts??? Am I just worrying too much about him being lonely or something? Yeah I know I spoil him and give him loads of attention
Other than his restlessness he's acting normal (eating, drinking, etc.) and it's warm enough for him. He will go and try to snuggle up to the light but will lay down for a few seconds, stand up and look up at the top of the brooder box and then pace around again.
Thanks! I hope I get some sleep tonight.
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