# Peep!!!



## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

Please please please help me!
All of a sudden, as of last night, Wigwam, my EE chick, started peeping very loudly at night. I went in their three times in a row. Checked everything. Food is good. Water is good. Fan is off. Temp is about 75-80. I tried everything! I comforted her and petted her and let her out to walk around for a bit - nothing works! As soon as I leave, she freaks! All the other chicks are perfectly fine, but Wigwam has started this! It scares me. She's 5 weeks old and just began this.
Last night she eventually fell asleep, but I don't want this to become a routine. It's very stressful for me, wondering what's wrong with her. She lets out a few trill-like peeps in between the shrill ones. I watched her for a bit through the window the screened in porch door. She walks around with her head high, almost searching for something. I turned the light off. Still peeping. Turn it on. Still peeping. Argh!
Please help! As of this moment she is peeping her lungs out. It starts at around 9:00. 
Any suggestions?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Setup description. I wondering if the dark is confusing her and she's scared. Sudden darkness will upset chicks quite a bit.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

robin416 said:


> Setup description. I wondering if the dark is confusing her and she's scared. Sudden darkness will upset chicks quite a bit.


I see. However, even when I kept the light on, she continued peeping.
Now, the lights are off. She peeped for a while after that and then quieted down and she is walking around still, but not peeping. Confusing. How do I prevent this from happening every night, and what other possible causes for this are there? Thanks.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

robin416 said:


> Setup description. I wondering if the dark is confusing her and she's scared. Sudden darkness will upset chicks quite a bit.


Oh, and one more thing - did you want me to describe the setup? Or were you referring to setup as the potential problem? Just wondering


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Actually both. Who is in with her? Are they running her off? When are you turning out any lights? She's upset about bedtime and now you get to play detective to find out why.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

robin416 said:


> Actually both. Who is in with her? Are they running her off? When are you turning out any lights? She's upset about bedtime and now you get to play detective to find out why.


Ok - she's got her 3 flockmates. She's kinda the boss of them, I'd say. I made the mistake of turning off and on the lights to see what one she liked. I'm sure that didn't help. I think tomorrow I'll try leaving the light off so natural daylight can do its thing, instead of leaving on the light and then turning it off when it gets dark. Unless, chicks like light when they sleep. You tell me.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

robin416 said:


> Actually both. Who is in with her? Are they running her off? When are you turning out any lights? She's upset about bedtime and now you get to play detective to find out why.


The setup is that they are in a screened in porch with a light off to the side. They have a roosting bar, a feeder, a waterer, and a cup of water next to that for extra. They have a plastic tray for flooring. They sleep on the roosting bar and sometimes the floor. When I went in there to check, they were all together on the floor. They don't have a heat lamp, and the temp is about 75 at night time.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Give her a small stuffed animal, a feather duster, and take a small amount of chick feed and add water and get her to taste it. Chances are if she will eat that, she'll sleep well.

Or it's a roo!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Bingo, you found it. It's the sudden turning off of the light "after" it's gone dark. Either turn it off before dark or like you said, don't use it all.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

robin416 said:


> Bingo, you found it. It's the sudden turning off of the light "after" it's gone dark. Either turn it off before dark or like you said, don't use it all.


I see. Does she remember that from the previous night, and get upset about it?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Nope. If it gradually gets dark instead of suddenly dark they will begin the process for sleep. As young birds the sudden dark is a scary thing and it sends them into a panic.

Did you not mention your Father is a physician? He understands how the body needs to wind down to trigger certain chemicals in the brain to prepare for sleep. He might be able to explain it to you. And if you were ever scared of the dark when you were little your Mom would understand what it is I'm trying to say.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

robin416 said:


> Nope. If it gradually gets dark instead of suddenly dark they will begin the process for sleep. As young birds the sudden dark is a scary thing and it sends them into a panic.
> 
> Did you not mention your Father is a physician? He understands how the body needs to wind down to trigger certain chemicals in the brain to prepare for sleep. He might be able to explain it to you. And if you were ever scared of the dark when you were little your Mom would understand what it is I'm trying to say.


Ok! Right now I left the light off and she is starting to peep again. It is as if she is scared of the sun setting. She's chirping so loud... I don't understand why this just started 3 days ago...she seemed to be fine up until now. Before, we left the light on and then would switch it off when we went to bed. It didn't bother them at all!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Take her and put her in with the others. She might be getting bullied out or she's dilly dallying and not going in before it's dark.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

robin416 said:


> Take her and put her in with the others. She might be getting bullied out or she's dilly dallying and not going in before it's dark.


Well, she's in a cage with all her flock mates in the porch. She's not in the coop yet. She's still in the brooder. She's always with her flockmates. She's also kinda the boss of them. Right now, she's asleep. It's like a baby crying before bed and then finally falling asleep. Why did she just start this now?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

No telling. But if there is only the three then it's possible she doesn't have a buddy and she's not happy about it at bedtime.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

robin416 said:


> No telling. But if there is only the three then it's possible she doesn't have a buddy and she's not happy about it at bedtime.


Well, she sleeps with the other 3 on the floor. Maybe it's just one of those baby habits?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

They're old enough at this point to have a small roost or platform to sleep on. Try that to see if she likes it.

A lot of what keeps them happy is trial and error. Every bird has it's own personality, some are whiners their entire lives, others are very much people birds.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Some get SPOILED and want human attention at all times.Maybe she figured out you come running when she cries and so she cries to call you.Is she the one who gets the most attention from you?


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

chickenqueen said:


> Some get SPOILED and want human attention at all times.Maybe she figured out you come running when she cries and so she cries to call you.Is she the one who gets the most attention from you?


Yep. That sounds right. Every time she calls I run to her and pet her and give her attention. Definitely gets the most attention from me.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

robin416 said:


> They're old enough at this point to have a small roost or platform to sleep on. Try that to see if she likes it.
> 
> A lot of what keeps them happy is trial and error. Every bird has it's own personality, some are whiners their entire lives, others are very much people birds.


Ok! I think she just wants my attention. When she starts peeping, I come running to her. She's got in a habit of that. She does have a roosting bar and goes on it quite often.


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