Only 1 chick hatched. Advice for the lonely baby?

LaynaDon95

Songster
8 Years
Jan 18, 2012
2,072
50
183
Texas
Hatch day for my Wyandottes was yesterday. Nobody hatched until today, and only 1 is thriving. The only other 1 to hatch is not doing well and I won't be surprised if he doesn't survive the night. I have a duck setting on some eggs and they are due next weekend. Does anyone have tips for comforting this lonely baby until I can graft her to my duck? I have a stuffed animal I'm planning on giving her. What do I do if she doesn't like it? I saw someone made a "feather duster" from their adult chickens feathers and their chick nestled under it like he would have a Mama hen. I can't do that because my adult chickens have fowl pox. Would a fake feather duster work?
 
Last edited:
i would suggest a stuffed animal... or if you can theres always the possibility of buying her a little chickie friend :) but if not my first thought was the stuffed animal. When my last chick to hatch was in the incubator all by himself with one egg (which didn't hatch) he spent like an hour curled up next to the egg! it was so sad
hmm.png
but now he has 8 other chickie friends and he's all better!
 
Oh, the mirror is a good idea! I remember seeing that somewhere now but I had forgotten. I don't know of anywhere I could get a chick other than from friends, but I would hate to bring in a chick knowing my older hens have fowl pox. I just found out last week, so I couldn't stop these guys from hatching. I may put a mirror and the stuffed animal in there. Thanks so much for the ideas. :) She is so cute!
love.gif
I just want to keep her happy until her brothers and sisters hatch.
 
Just spend lots of time with her... it shouldn't be too hard considering how irresistible these little chickies are!! on the plus side she'll probably be extra friendly toward you!!
 
All the above suggestions are good. I would suggest more chicks. Only thing that scares me about raising a chick with ducks is what if she tries to learn to swim.
sad.png
 
i agree with ronc... is there any possibility of getting more chicks? i think that if you can keep them away from the rest of the flock that has fowl pox it would be really helpful to your chick
 
I don't have time for a long update, so I'll give a better one later when I have more time. RonC: My duck won't have free access to swimming water. I know she would try to teach the chicks how to swim so she would only have swimming water when I could ensure the chicks couldn't get to it.
The other chick that i thought was dying is actually doing great! Don't have time for details, like I said before, but he's alive and seemingly well. I won't have to worry about "making a friend" for the first hatcher. :)
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom