Advice on incubated egg - is it viable?

[MGG]

I know, I should have gone for at least 3 eggs - my mistake. I can leave it for sure, I just don't want it to go bad and explode - I heard that can happen?

I actually checked and there is someone selling chicks not so far away. They are more than a week old though, is that a problem?

What if it would be a rooster? Would it still get picked on, if the rest of the flock would be hens?

It's ok. They almost never explode. It's safe to leave them until at least 14 days. If they are over a week old they won't be suitable. Do they have any younger chicks? Chicks that are a week old will peck it and probably kill it. If it were a cockerel it would integrate eventually and become the flock leader. It's just very stressful on you and the bird to integrate a single chick. They don't have a buddy to sleep with when they're kicked out of the coop, or to hide with when they're chased around, etc. It's very stressful on them, and the stress can actually kill them.

 

[VlkStinu]

It's ok. They almost never explode. It's safe to leave them until at least 14 days. If they are over a week old they won't be suitable. Do they have any younger chicks? Chicks that are a week old will peck it and probably kill it. If it were a cockerel it would integrate eventually and become the flock leader. It's just very stressful on you and the bird to integrate a single chick. They don't have a buddy to sleep with when they're kicked out of the coop, or to hide with when they're chased around, etc. It's very stressful on them, and the stress can actually kill them.

I see... But it's one of the possibilities right? Like it doesn't have to be this way. I will try and find a younger chick, but I am not sure if I will manage that.

 

[VlkStinu]

In any case, thank you for all your replies!

 

[VlkStinu]

Just a thought - how about getting an adult hen and get her to do the rest of the incubation or let her care for the chick just after it hatches? I guess that would be hard to pull off right? I could get an adult hen easily, unlike a few days old chick. There would be just two of them, they could bond and then I would introduce the rest of the adopted chickens.

 

[The Happster]

I'm assuming you don't have a broody hen.
No. That isn't going to work.

She must be broody to accept a chick. They go broody when they feel like it.
Best idea is to search out for some young chicks like MGG suggested.

Hopefully it will all go well and this egg will hatch.

 

[VlkStinu]

I'm assuming you don't have a broody hen.
No. That isn't going to work.

She must be broody to accept a chick. They go broody when they feel like it.
Best idea is to search out for some young chicks like MGG suggested.

Hopefully it will all go well and this egg will hatch.

Thank you! Yeah, I thought that might be difficult. A local supplier sells adult hens that lay eggs, so I was thinking I could slide this one under her and she could finish the incubation, but I am a rookie in all this, so just a rookie idea.

I found some threads where people said they raised a single chick and they integrated well into the flock afterwards, so I assume it really depends on the individual and the flock - so it's not entirely impossible. I have plenty of time as I work home office, so the chick wouldn't be alone, but I understand that by not having a fellow chick to bond with, it will have a harder time to bond with other chickens in the future, that makes absolute sense. Although again, if it would be a rooster, I am sure he would blend in well. But I suppose I won't be able to tell until several weeks of the chick's growth.

So apart from this, the only other option is to get a broiler chick which seems to be really easy to get - there are many ads offering 1-day old chicks. The only downside is that broiler chick will never lay eggs right?

Oh by the way, I cracked the Welsummer egg open this morning and there was just a plain yolk, no development whatsoever.

 

[The Happster]

Completely understandable, but those broody hens are tricky. You'll never get a hen go broody if you want her to. Haha.

Don't get a broiler chick unless you're willing to process it.
I have had one chick a couple of times, both raised by a broody.
They still have integration problems.

 

[VlkStinu]

Completely understandable, but those broody hens are tricky. You'll never get a hen go broody if you want her to. Haha.

Don't get a broiler chick unless you're willing to process it.
I have had one chick a couple of times, both raised by a broody.
They still have integration problems.

I can imagine.

I wouldn't want to process it for sure... So that leaves me out of options really. I've put up two ads on two different websites, so fingers crossed someone will respond. And if not, I will do my best and hope for the best.

Thank you!

 

[ladybrasa]

In regards to getting a chick a week apart in age ... don’t take my word for it, but I would think it’s okay if you get one. My thoughts are they are too young to get the pecking order behaviors yet. I have chicks 3-4 weeks apart and in an overcrowded space - all thanks to me impulse-buying chicks from Tractor Supply. Just plopped the young ones in and they just got incorporated into the crowd. Also, if you get one, I would think that the lone one week old would seek out the companionship of the hatchling, and vice versa? These are just my thoughts so others may have different experiences.

 

[VlkStinu]

In regards to getting a chick a week apart in age ... don’t take my word for it, but I would think it’s okay if you get one. My thoughts are they are too young to get the pecking order behaviors yet. I have chicks 3-4 weeks apart and in an overcrowded space - all thanks to me impulse-buying chicks from Tractor Supply. Just plopped the young ones in and they just got incorporated into the crowd. Also, if you get one, I would think that the lone one week old would seek out the companionship of the hatchling, and vice versa? These are just my thoughts so others may have different experiences.

Thank you for the opinion, that actually sounds logical. It might be problematic in larger groups, but if there would be just two of them, it would be strange if the older one would attack the younger one. But I really have no idea how it works in practice...