Screaming chick. ALL THE TIME

[21hens-incharge]

She needs to be at a good temp to recover.
I too would leave her in the incubator with one friend.

 

[aart]

As soon as I put her back in the incubator she shut up.

It's warm in there.
She won't go under the pad in the brooder?
Are her hatch mates under the pad in the brooder?
If so, have you tried putting her under there and blocking here from coming out?

 

[Tatuana]

The other babies were too busy being excited to go in the heating cave. I tucked her and a friend into the incubator. Is that an okay place to keep them overnight?

She's very happy in the incubator at least. She pecks at the food/water all the time.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I agree with the extra heat, some times if I have a weak chick I get a hand warming pack and wrap it in a little towel a few times and let her sit on it. Or a heating pad on low with a towel over it.

 

[aart]

She's very happy in the incubator at least. She pecks at the food/water all the time.

If they are warm and eating and drinking and pooping ...that's all good.
Might want to crack the lid a bit for good ventilation.

 

[Stephine]

I think this is a situation where a set up with a heat emitter bulb or even a standard red heat lamp shines. If used in a good sized brooder over just one end, shining straight down, everyone can pick the spot with the right temperature for them. Nothing is too small or the wrong height, no one can be blocked etc... If it was me I would just ditch the pad and do that. Get a big cardboard box. Set up the lamp with two extra chains as back up should it fall. Place a wire rack or wire netting over the top of the brooder and have heat lamp above that. Chose one powerful enough to be effective at that distance. Put a thermometer in the center of the beam (or heat circle if using a lightless emitter) and have it at 95. Make sure your box has ample space for older chicks to sleep away from the warmer area. Place feed and water at the outer edge of the heat circle so weak chick has easy (warm) access. Better than messing with incubator, seperation etc.... Good luck!!!

 

[Tatuana]

She's eating, drinking, and pooping. Along with pecking her mate. Tallia is my wild child and REFUSES to sit in the incubator, but Ava is being an angel and is snuggling in there. I put it in the corner of the brooder with the lid cracked open a bit. Tallia can hop in and out if she wants to join the two, if not that's okay. It's not wide enough for the older babies to get in, though. So far Ellywe wants to stay in the incubator with her food and water. I told her that's okay, she can come out when she's ready.

I also did a quick DIY hut for them. I had some small blocks of wood, another cookie cooling rack, and a larger heating pad. I stacked the blocks up so they're slightly taller than baby, and covered them in fleece that they can't pull apart. That made the walls. I then put the cookie cooling rack over the top as a roof. Followed by a heating pad, with fleece wrapped around the cooling rack and pad. It's not perfect, but it's MUCH larger than their other one, and pretty darn warm inside. When Ellywe is ready I'll tuck her in with her friends. Everyone is busy hiding in terror from it for now.

Still haven't solved the screaming problem yet. If she's not eating she's screaming. I assume that's from her being cold/sick?

We went from "sheesh this thing is annoying me!" to "Aw shoot, it's dying!" to "She'll live!" to "YOU ARE ANNOYING ME AGAIN but I'm SO GLAD you'll live!!!" within four hours. My head is spinning.

 

[Tatuana]

I think this is a situation where a set up with a heat emitter bulb or even a standard red heat lamp shines. If used in a good sized brooder over just one end, shining straight down, everyone can pick the spot with the right temperature for them. Nothing is too small or the wrong height, no one can be blocked etc... If it was me I would just ditch the pad and do that. Get a big cardboard box. Set up the lamp with two extra chains as back up should it fall. Place a wire rack or wire netting over the top of the brooder and have heat lamp above that. Chose one powerful enough to be effective at that distance. Put a thermometer in the center of the beam (or heat circle if using a lightless emitter) and have it at 95. Make sure your box has ample space for older chicks to sleep away from the warmer area. Place feed and water at the outer edge of the heat circle so weak chick has easy (is arm) access. Better than messing with incubator, seperation etc.... Good luck!!!

That's what they're getting tomorrow when the stores open again. I have everything but a light, ha. I wasn't planning on needing it THIS quickly, and of course all feed stores close sunday!

 

[Tatuana]

So good news! She's back with the herd already. Her choice, not mine. I switched out the warming cave and they all piled in. She got ticked off and joined them. She's still screaming a LOT. Could she still be in distress if she's eating, drinking, passed stool and with her friends? Could it just be loneliness? She's perked right up again, at least. I just wish I knew what to do about the screaming.

The older babies got a treat for their patience. The younger babies haven't learned to dig yet, or even why it's a good thing. So I took the box the babies came in with the woodchips and cut a hole in it. I tossed in about 15 mealworms, buried them, and threw in the older babies. They've now learned to scratch and the woodchips are outside of the box. Babies are too young to figure it out, older babies get a fun treat.


So I guess you guys did save Ellywe! I just worry about her screaming now.


THANK YOU for the help thus far!

 

[Stephine]

She might still be too cold for her needs (was she still screaming in the incubator?) but urgently want the company, too. Or she might want you, (or a mama hen) - you said she’s quiet with you?
Since she obviously was too cold earlier and has different temperature needs from the others I would still do the heat lamp tomorrow and give her some nutri drench to help with all the stress from being too cold and constantly changing surroundings. Then, if she’s eating and drinking and moving fine, she’ll probably get over it quickly.

I had one in my second batch, a little Speckled Sussex, who was peeping non stop like that from out of the post office box. She took to sleeping right next to the feeder, because it had a cover like an umbrella over it (to keep the chicks from climbing on it) and she wanted something covering her... She got used to brooder life in a few days though, and was a very healthy chick and still is a healthy hen...