# Only Wigwam



## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

What. Is. Going. ON.
I posted a thread earlier on this topic. My chick Wigwam starts peeping when dusk approaches. She has shrill, loud peeps. She walks around normally but stands still from time to time. She looks a little ruffled.
3 days ago, she started this. Never before has dark/dusk bothered her. Our previous routine was to have the porch light on at dusk so we could see in there, then when we went to bed we'd turn it off. No problems. 
We went on a week's vacation and left her with a chicken sitter, who kept them in her basement with a heat lamp. Upon returning to our house, she resumed her position in the screened-in porch with no heat lamp. One day after she'd been home, she started this earsplitting peep around the time when the sun starts to head towards the horizon. Around 7:00-8:00. I left the light off today, to see if natural daylight would do the trick. 30 minutes ago she started again. Please, someone help!!

Unusual factors about it
- It's only Wigwam. Other chicks are fine.
- Today is the first day with natural daylight and she's still peeping like crazy.
- It's good tempeture. Everything's fine. 
- She just started this out of the blue. If she was afraid of the dark before, why is she just beggining this at 5 weeks?
- When I reach my hand between the bars and stick out my finger to pet her, she bites it. Full on puts the beak around it and tries to eat me. 

Thanks, guys.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Have you observed the other chicks picking or pecking Wigwam? Chasing her? You mentioned that she looked a little ruffled. 
Speaking of looking a little ruffled, what does her poop look like? Any blood in it or anything else abnormal about it? 
Is she eating/drinking normally?


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

dawg53 said:


> Have you observed the other chicks picking or pecking Wigwam? Chasing her? You mentioned that she looked a little ruffled.
> Speaking of looking a little ruffled, what does her poop look like? Any blood in it or anything else abnormal about it?
> Is she eating/drinking normally?


Ruffled as in a little scared. She walks around with her head up. Her eyes were kinda wide, but nothing else. She is eating and drinking normally, as far as I can tell. She pecks at the poop/food on the floor a lot. (It gets a little mixed sometimes, but nothing bad).
I haven't watched her poo, but all the poop in the cage looks ok. A few of my chicks have their really runny, disgusting poos every once in a while. Is this normal?
The other chicks don't bother her. Occasionally when she's out of the cage, she and Atari will look a little standoffish, but it's actually her who does most of the pecking at other chicks. She's basically the alpha. Plus, she only peeps like this when it's starting to get dark/sunset/dusk. 
She also eventually falls asleep with her flockmates. There's only 4 of them total in the cage. She's silent after about 30 minutes of peeping before nightfall. I don't want to stress over her every night...that's why I'm trying to find the answer. ☹


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

The disgusting foul smelling poop is cecal poop, which is normal. 
As far as Wigwam goes, I see nothing as a cause to her strange behavior. I suspect she'll grow out of it in time.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Like I said on another post,some chickens are SPOILED and want human attention.I think Wigwam has figured out you come running when called and so she calls for you.They DO NOT outgrow this,it just gets worse.That's why I have a hen who only lays an egg in my dirty laundry basket.For 4 years now!!!She will hold the egg in until she gets to the laundry basket and gives me a scolding all the way back there.She started life as an only chick for the first month of her life.She was my constant companion and still spends a lot of time with me during the day.She is ruined as far as chickens go.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

chickenqueen said:


> Like I said on another post,some chickens are SPOILED and want human attention.I think Wigwam has figured out you come running when called and so she calls for you.They DO NOT outgrow this,it just gets worse.That's why I have a hen who only lays an egg in my dirty laundry basket.For 4 years now!!!She will hold the egg in until she gets to the laundry basket and gives me a scolding all the way back there.She started life as an only chick for the first month of her life.She was my constant companion and still spends a lot of time with me during the day.She is ruined as far as chickens go.


Uh oh! How do I fix this? It's only been going on for 3 days. If I don't come to her, and let her be all day, will it work?


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

chickenqueen said:


> Like I said on another post,some chickens are SPOILED and want human attention.I think Wigwam has figured out you come running when called and so she calls for you.They DO NOT outgrow this,it just gets worse.That's why I have a hen who only lays an egg in my dirty laundry basket.For 4 years now!!!She will hold the egg in until she gets to the laundry basket and gives me a scolding all the way back there.She started life as an only chick for the first month of her life.She was my constant companion and still spends a lot of time with me during the day.She is ruined as far as chickens go.


I just don't want this to be an ongoing thing. Would it help if I didn't acknowledge her when she begins the peeping at night?


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Probably,but expect the crying to get worse at first.I know it's hard to listen to their crying but ignore it.It may not work but try it.It may make life better for all involved.Once she's outside for good you shouldn't be able to hear her but if she continues she may draw the attention of predators at night.Good luck!!!


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

chickenqueen said:


> Probably,but expect the crying to get worse at first.I know it's hard to listen to their crying but ignore it.It may not work but try it.It may make life better for all involved.Once she's outside for good you shouldn't be able to hear her but if she continues she may draw the attention of predators at night.Good luck!!!


Ok! She's pretty smart about predators. When my dogs start barking she quiets down. I hope it gets better! Thanks!


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

Hey everyone! I just needed to give an update on this thread - 3 days ago we went out for a movie and dinner and got back late. Wigwam was asleep already, but she woke up, but didn't peep. The next day we went to Atlanta to see some friends and got back around seven. She had minimal peeping; about ten minutes of it, then silence. The next night there was no peeping at all. Tonight, she's back to it! Weird behavior or something else?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Ignore it. If you keep responding it just reinforces the behavior.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

robin416 said:


> Ignore it. If you keep responding it just reinforces the behavior.


Ok. I've been ignoring it this whole time except for the first 2 times she ever did it. Tonight she's been doing it for extra long...


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Time to finish the coop and get them off the back porch.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

robin416 said:


> Time to finish the coop and get them off the back porch.


Haha! Good idea! We just got the hardware cloth today!  Is 6 weeks good to move them in there?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yep, that's plenty old enough. They're fully feathered and don't need a heat source. That would be the only reason you might not want to move them.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

robin416 said:


> Yep, that's plenty old enough. They're fully feathered and don't need a heat source. That would be the only reason you might not want to move them.


Ok! Thanks! They're long past the heat source; we stopped using it at 4 weeks. I think they'll be ok, however, I know Wigwam will probably be even more terrified out there. Oh well.


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