Singleton chick is terrified of other chicks! Help?

[JulietsMomma]

I had hatching eggs and only one hatched. The one that did hatch had splayed legs and curled toes. He’s doing good now - you can tell he has a problem with one of his legs still but he can walk, eat, drink, and get around fine. Toes are completely fixed. I bought some other chicks to put with him after 3 days (couldn’t find any).

They immediately started picking on him and cornered him. I ended up having to separate them and he was still being banded for splayed legs at the time.

I’ve tried reintroducing them several times while monitoring them. He can run away now and will just chirp very loudly while running away to the furthest corner of the brooder.

He is terrified of the other chicks. I’m honestly not sure what to do. I’m newer to everything (we raised chickens growing up but that’s been years ago) now and things have changed since I was a teenager.

Should I keep trying to reintroduce them? He is a Mille fleur d’uccle bantam and the other are silkies around the same size. All about 3 weeks old now.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

Unfortunately, you've got several factors going on here.

First, you need to do an integration pretty much any time you mix chickens that don't know each other -- though young chicks don't *usually* need much.

Second, it's normal and, in the wild beneficial to the flock, for chickens to reject a bird that has an abnormality that could attract predators.

Third, chickens often reject other chickens that don't look like them when they're used to seeing only other chickens that look like them. They're not smart enough to realize that a different color pattern, a crest, feathered feet, etc. *aren't* abnormalities that could attract predators.

Fourth, the chick raised solo hasn't learned the social cues of chicken interaction so he doesn't know how to interact with others.

One thing you can do is to create a see-don't-touch environment -- dividing off a section of the brooder with wire so that they can co-exist side-by-side for a time to get used to each other just like we do with adult chickens. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...using-the-“see-but-don’t-touch”-method.67839/

 

[JulietsMomma]

Welcome to BYC.

Unfortunately, you've got several factors going on here.

First, you need to do an integration pretty much any time you mix chickens that don't know each other -- though young chicks don't *usually* need much.

Second, it's normal and, in the wild beneficial to the flock, for chickens to reject a bird that has an abnormality that could attract predators.

Third, chickens often reject other chickens that don't look like them when they're used to seeing only other chickens that look like them. They're not smart enough to realize that a different color pattern, a crest, feathered feet, etc. *aren't* abnormalities that could attract predators.

Fourth, the chick raised solo hasn't learned the social cues of chicken interaction so he doesn't know how to interact with others.

One thing you can do is to create a see-don't-touch environment -- dividing off a section of the brooder with wire so that they can co-exist side-by-side for a time to get used to each other just like we do with adult chickens. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-“see-but-don’t-touch”-method.67839/

So, create a divider and introduce them that way? They’re all different colors (silkies) and then the Mille fleur d’uccle. They’re not a big breed where I live so I haven’t had any luck finding others. Here’s a picture of the little guy. He can walk and do all that now so I’m not sure what the deal is.

It makes sense in the beginning when he couldn’t walk. It was pitiful.

ETA: is this something I could try outside? I have a small chick cage with a barrier in the middle that’s made for outside introductions.

 

[3KillerBs]

So, create a divider and introduce them that way? They’re all different colors (silkies) and then the Mille fleur d’uccle. They’re not a big breed where I live so I haven’t had any luck finding others. Here’s a picture of the little guy. He can walk and do all that now so I’m not sure what the deal is.

It makes sense in the beginning when he couldn’t walk. It was pitiful.

View attachment 3537749

A wire divider so that they can see each other 24-7 and get used to each other.

 

[JulietsMomma]

A wire divider so that they can see each other 24-7 and get used to each other.

Perfect! Thank you! I’ll get one made and see how it goes!

 

[3KillerBs]

Perfect! Thank you! I’ll get one made and see how it goes!

Good luck