Peep is not doing very well. Her regular feathers are not coming in. The chick fluff is getting thinner. Her wings look almost like lace when she spreads them. But she is standing more than she did, and she continues to eat and drink water. I just tell myself that what will be will be. I am surprised that she has made it this far.
She peeps almost continuously. I hope it is not stress. It goes like this: peep peep peep peep PEEP! Always five in a row. Then a little pause and another five peeps with the accent on the last peep.
Today I bought her a mirror. When she saw herself in the mirror, she immediately stopped peeping. I left the closet so that she could get to know her new friend. When I stuck my head in the closet a few minutes ago, her peep pattern had changed. Now it is peep peep peep (pause) peep peep peep (pause) peep peep peep. I wonder what it means?
Do you think she has imprinted on you? Few creatures are meant to be solitary. Hopefully the mirror helps.
ReplyDeleteI think probably. She lets me pet her, and she plays with my finger. I had four chicks imprint on my last spring, not because I tried. They hatched out here in April, while it was still cold, and after keeping them warm in a box, the hen flew back into a nest and went broody again. I put them in my atrium in a box, didn't pay much attention to them, but imprint they did! When I took them back to the coop, they would hop all over me, jump on my head or shoulder.
ReplyDeleteWe raise about 30 chicks in our first grade classes each year and they are always quietly peeping. I have never counted the interval, but will so this next month when they hatch. If it's a quiet peep I think it means contentment.
ReplyDeleteIf you pick them up suddenly or they step on each other, they trill(which in chick language means 'watch out'!
David/:0)
I agree with you, the quiet peeps are contentment. I have been counting her peeps at other times. The more in a row the more agitated she is. Sometimes, if she is sitting on my lap, there are just two, then a pause.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you do with the chicks you raise?
ReplyDelete