Raising a lonely chick

[newgirl97]

To make a very long story short, i am not a chicken person. In fact, they scare me.

But we ended up only having two eggs fertilized and one chick died while hatching.

So now we have one very lonely little buddy. I feel so called to nurture this little guy, but I know nothing about chicks.

He’s being kept warm and he has all of his necessities (my family has hatched chicks for years but we’ve never only had one.)

But I don’t know how to help his loneliness. When I leave him he chirps frantically. When I come back he hops into my hand and calms down.

He’s currently asleep under my hand because he thinks that his mother is sitting on him.

Has anyone raised single chicks ? Do they grow up okay? I don’t want him to be lonely but I feel like that it’s inevitable because I can’t be with him all the time.

I’m wondering if anyone could think of a way that I could replicate a mother for him to sleep under? I don’t think he likes to be out in the open.

I know it’s silly to be so worried about a chick but I love him

(I also don’t know if he’s a boy or not. Hoping he’s a hen. His name is Leonard regardless!)

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

If you can find it some company that is always best. You can give it a mirror, and a hanging feather duster for company. I personally would find some chicks locally or order a small batch from a hatchery to keep it company and keep it sane.

 

[newgirl97]

If you can find it some company that is always best. You can give it a mirror, and a hanging feather duster for company. I personally would find some chicks locally or order a small batch from a hatchery to keep it company and keep it sane.

Thank you!! The mirror and feather duster idea is brilliant!

I tried to find more chicks online and all of them within an hour/hour and a half drive from us are either already a week+ old or are not hatching for another two weeks.

I’ve posted an ad seeing if anyone can spare a chick or two, but so far there haven’t been any replies

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

A few hatcheries sell small chick orders like Meyers and My Pet Chicken, but I haven't checked if any are available. Usually popular breeds are. Though you'd still have to wait until next week at least. Hopefully you can find something in the next few weeks. I know people have raised single birds, but company is always better. Good luck.

 

[Bruce]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/

Heat lamp chicks peep all the time. Make her a Mama Heating Pad cave and she will sleep at night when it is dark.

 

[newgirl97]

Thought I would update everyone!!

This is Leonard. S/he is thriving! This week s/he graduated from a box in our kitchen to an entire chicken tractor to her/himself!

 

[rachels.haven]

Nice cockerel. He has eyes only for you, I see.

 

[Bruce]

Are you getting other chicks so he can have a flock?

 

[newgirl97]

Nice cockerel. He has eyes only for you, I see.

Thank you!!

He loves me so much. When I come to visit he initially runs away when the door opens but once i come in and get down to his level he runs to me and wants to be pet and held like a cat.

I never thought I’d love a chicken but here we are!

 

[newgirl97]

Are you getting other chicks so he can have a flock?

Are you getting other chicks so he can have a flock?

Not sure what our plan is yet. We have 20 hens right now and no rooster (his father was killed by a fox the day before he hatched)

His chicken tractor is amongst all of the other chickens, so that he is not completely alone.

We’d like to keep him but are worried about him breeding his mother.
My dad is worried that he will start becoming aggressive because his father was extremely aggressive. (Never had a rooster so mean before) I believe that he won’t be aggressive because he’s been hand raised.

We’re Also considering getting him castrated and having him solely as a companion but that idea really scares me

If we are unable to keep him I’m going to find him a hobby farm to live at (you know the ones where people only have a couple of chickens for novelty)