Chick WILL NOT stop cheeping

[Magweno]

I have a cuckoo booted bantam chick who unfortunately was the only chick to hatch out of three eggs. he is about a week old now and just yesterday he started this incessant cheeping. He cheeped occasionally if he was hungry so I'd get him a woodlouse or show him where the crumbs were. I thought it was a loneliness thing so I've put a stuffed lapwing doll in with him but he ignores it, I put a little box in his brooder so he can see over the edge of the cage and see me at the computer. If he cant see me he cheeps even louder! I thought he might be cold but his brooder light is at 30C. I even tried putting a little brooder heat lamp, food and water next to the keyboard so he can wander around my hands while I'm working but after five minutes he starts cheeping again. it's ear splitting and maddening, I don't want to put him in a different room because I'm certain he's trying to tell me something and I'm too inexperienced to know what! help!

 

[tygrysek75]

He may be to cold and lonely...Chickens are very social birds and small chicks often cudle together for comfort and warmness.try to rise tempereture of the brooder to 35C and see if this help.You can put a small mirror so he would think he is not alone but personally get him some company-another chick from local breeder he will be more happy then.

 

[Tim]

Since he doesn't have a hen as a mum or companions, he has 'keyed' onto you as his mother. This means that when you go away, he's calling for you. You'll probably find when he is fed, and is cuddled in your hand, he stops - just as if he were under the mother.

It can still happen with more chicks but as already said above, chickens are flock animals and it is unfair to raise them alone so if you can find a companion, it would be the kind thing to do and possibly help with the cheeping...

 

[chrismahon]

Sounds lonely and cold Magweno. As everyone has said, company for it should be top priority. One of the risks with hatching small numbers of eggs. People are frequently left with 1 from 6 as we were and had to dash to a local breeder to get two (in case one dies as they do).

 

[Magweno]

It's so heartbreaking!
I knew he was calling to me but even when he was close and in my hands he still wasn't fully relaxed. He was craning his neck and still calling even when I was talking to him, holding him in my hands and crooning away. I wasn't 100% sure if loneliness was the reason, but I've turned the light up and he's quiet, although it is the morning and I was careful not to let him see me while I changed his water and food.
I have quail eggs due to hatch on Wednesday, lots of them, then over the next month I have partridges, pheasants, chickens and a goose due.
My incubator only takes three chicken eggs and seven quail eggs but after four dismal hatches I'm thinking of selling it and getting a better one. I did buy it because I thought it was the best, but it turns out it's TOO automatic and it's really frustrating not being able to regulate humidity, temp and airflow myself.

 

[Tim]

That's a real problem with the small incubators. It's hard enough hatching a sensible amount when starting with a dozen eggs but starting from 3 doesn't give any chance... :-(