Can any one offer me some advice on my 5 day old chick which I hatched on the 24th sept who I have named Olish as it is a polish bantam, any how olish thinks I'm its mom and insists I cuddle him/her or it screams for attention and I'm having to hand feed it 5 times a day every day since day 3, I make up a mash of instant oats which he eat's a little drinking is fine from an eye dropper, he was perfect when hatched and fluffed up put him in the brooder temp and every thing fine, water and chick crumb but only wants me! Can anyone advise me I have other chicks and a hen but they are not intrested at all. :confused:

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Originally Posted by rose2507

can any one offer me some advice on my 5 day old chick which i hatched on the 24th sept who i have named Olish as it is a polish bantam, any how olish thinks im its mom and insists i cuddle him/her or it screams for attention and im having to hand feed it 5 times a day every day since day 3, i make up a mash of instant oats which he eat's a little drinking is fine from an eye dropper, he was perfect when hatched and fluffed up put him in the brooder temp and every thing fine, water and chick crumb but only wants me! can anyone advise me i have other chicks and a hen but they are not intrested at all. :confused:

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Ummm. I wanted chicks but my dad wouldn't let me keep them. Why don't you buy another chick about the same age or so and put them alone together, they might communicate in their own way.

I would recommend first off that the chick crumbs are ground into a very fine dust, add some marbles made of colorful glass and maybe a couple of mini meal worms, the movement and bright colors should attract the chick, hand reared poultry should still be discouraged from taking chick crumbs from he hand and encouraged to feed from a trough as they may decide to attack hands
For food when they get bigger...
He should also be taking water from a dish filled with marbles to stop it drowning and to attract it, don't feed anything from a hand or dropper for 24 hours and use the mealworms to attract the chick to eat and drink, also show it where the water bowl is by dipping its beak into the trough and leaving it next to it, kee a check on it but leave it for 24 hours, you will soon find it eating and drinking on its own...
If it isn't give it a bit of water to keep it hydrated, but don't feed it at all,
Let it fnd the food itself, let me know how he goes tomorrow and if he isn't doing it for himself let me know and iw ill see what else I can do..
Good luck
Katie