New To Raising a Chick, Need Some Help

[Seli]

Hi! Yesterday I rescued a chick from one of my cats, the chick didn't seem to have any injuries or anything, so I took her in and would like to try and raise her up since I have no idea where her mother could be. She seems old enough to eat seeds and stuff on her own, I've been giving her a mix of crushed up sunflower seeds, oats, and grits and she seems to be eating those fine.

I would just like some tips on how to best raise her, (like what food to give etc) it would be greatly appreciated!

One thing in particular, she seems to sleep a lot and that worries me. Is there something I can do?

 

[DuckGirl77]

She will need chick starter for food, and you may want to get her a chick-friend. Chicks do sleep quite a bit; I don't see anything wrong there. If you can get ahold of it, I would recommend Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens.
Have fun with your chick!

 

[Kiki]

Can you post a picture of your new chick?
Do you know how old it may be?

Welcome to BYC!

 

[DuckGirl77]

Forgot to add that it needs heat. Get a heat lamp for it or one of those heating pads so it doesn't get too cold. If you think it may be injured from its encounter with the cat, you could put some sugar in the water for a day or two or, better yet, get some electrolytes, like Sav-a-Chic, from TSC or whatever your local feed store is.

 

[PoesAccomplice]

Also, do that chick a favor and mix in some apple cider vinegar, honey, and crushed garlic in his water for an energy and immune system boost

 

[Seli]

This is her today, I really don't know how old she is, but it looks like she's started to grow her big bird feathers if that helps to give an estimate

 

[DuckGirl77]

Aww she's cute! I'm not exactly sure at what age they begin to grow in their new feathers, but she can't be more than a couple weeks old, if that.

 

[Gnarled Carrots]

Oh she's adorable! She looks about 2 weeks old. Chickens start to loose their little fluffy feathers and get adolescent ones after about 2 weeks.

Newly hatched chicks are more or less self sufficient. They just need warmth, chick feed, and water. You're going to want to get her a store-bought feeder and waterer as well as store-bought chick feed. Chickens have a tendency to knock over/poop into everything that isn't specially designed for them. Chicks also might like seeds, but they're not the most nutritious thing to feed newborns and feeding them too much "junk food" can create poor feeding habits as adults.

If you haven't already, you're going to want to start a brooder box and get some wood shavings (not cedar) or sand. A dog crate or large plastic tub work great. She's going to need a heat lamp as well. You're going to want to get her up to 85-90 degrees! and then reduce it 5 degrees per week until about 70 degrees. If she's sleeping a lot or huddled around the warmest spot, it's likely because she's too cold. Although it is perfectly normal for a chick to sleep a lot, she should walk around and eat on her own.

I'd also second the recommendation on getting her a friend. Chickens are social creatures and don't particularly like being by themselves.

As always,

and good luck on your new chicken adventure!

 

[lazy gardener]

She looks to be less than a week old to me. Difficult to see without getting a close look at the wings. At that age, they need supplemental heat. That may be why she's sleeping a lot. The easiest way to provide that heat safely is with a heating pad: Check out this article: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/yes-you-certainly-can-brood-chicks-outdoors If you can, it would be helpful for you to get her a friend, and a bag of chick starter feed. Go to the learning center, and you'll find lots of helpful information about raising chicks.