can a chick be raised alone?

[Ascholten]

It's not the best situation but can be done. Do know that birds LOVE attention, and you will need to give it attention, but on that end, just like with my cockatoo, they can get demanding for that attention too and expect you to give it 24 / 7 whenever they want it, so may have issues teaching it the meaning of 'no, stfu and go away' too.

Each bird is different too. Some will be fine with just you and it, others may chew themselves up and eventually die because of it, and sadly there is no way to know how your specific lil feather friend is going to be, except for direct observation on the spot....

Out of curiosity, what is the situation where you can only have one and not a second?

Aaron

 

[El Paso Linda]

Yes chicks can be raised alone (with the proper care) just spead LOTS of time with it. You could put a mirror are maybe a few stuffed animals in the brooder with it. It should be fine if you spend a lot of time

With the proper care and attention they can

One of my baby quails died leaving a quail that was about 10 days old. Fortunately I had a pen of quails next to it's pen so the baby could hear the other quails but not see them. It seems to be getting along OK. I can't put them together by the 10 day old is too small and would get trampled by the bigger quail.

 

[eclectic-em]

Buying another chicken later is better than raising it alone, but they will probably fight and will never be as bonded as two chicks raised together

i had a only one egg hatch successfully in december and it was impossible to find chicks locally and i felt like getting the minimum amount for shipping many reputable places was 15. but i am lucky enough to have school and work online this year so i was home 24/7 and his brooder was inside (then upgraded to a 4x4 dog pen after a few weeks) and he was out to play or lay with me for hours a day.

in february i found an ad on craigslist where the gal said she only sells 3+ week old pullets so i asked if she had any others that were closer to my guy’s age and she had one that hatched the day before he did. i was worried about their dynamic but the gal i got the her from socialized her chickens well. aside from george trying to peck at her “speckles” they meshed really well. they sleep right next to each other on the perch at night and cuddle in the warmth of the sun during the days. definitely try to steal treats from each other though but

my neighbor says she’s never met chickens with so much personality but i think it’s just because i had the time to spend with them. so it can be done, but it’s incredibly difficult. i was beyond lucky for my situation to work out, would i do it again? absolutely not.

george did deserve better (bc he’s an angel and deserves everything) and i did my best and that honestly took a toll me. he’s very social and still a lap chicken (for now, only ~14 weeks lol) but my life revolved around him every hour of the day for nearly 2 months. i still go sit out with them for at least half an hour everyday but i am so glad he has sophie (and 5 more chicks to join them when they’re big enough) so that i can focus on school and work better.

oh and sophie taught him how to be a chicken better. like seriously, he didn’t scratch the ground to search for food until she did it and he copied her. same with dust baths despite my best attempt at trying to show him how to take one.. i’m not a chicken. sophie showed him though.

TL;DR - i did it, but would never ever recommend it.

george and sophie sitting on my lap out in the coop together!

 

[eclectic-em]

I would provide it with a stuffed animal until then and spend plenty of time with it. Try and get it with some companions ASAP.

i’m like weeks late on this lol but that’s what i did with my single hatch! he had a little teddy that was a tiny dog toy and a stuffed dinosaur that he would sit on sometimes. which he now uh... is practicing mating with.

 

[THEChIcKeNwhisperer354]

I did it and it was absolute hell. I remember quietly tip toeing back to my bed trying not to wake the 1 day old chick alone in the brooder. It would wake up every 30 min. It would just chirp loudly and wake up the whole family. Get 2, not only because they need it, but because you need SLEEP

I had to do that for 2 days with a hany-cap chick. It was a true nightmare.

 

[THEChIcKeNwhisperer354]

I had to do that for 2 days with a hany-cap chick. It was a true nightmare.

I heard peeping in my head for a week after that.

 

[eclectic-em]

I heard peeping in my head for a week after that.

okay so it’s not just me that hears the phantom peeps constantly after being around baby chicks for too long?!

 

[Davethebirdman]

can a chick be raised alone? how?, I buy only one chick not knowing that they are social, can I raised alone? , buying another chick is not a opcion sadly.

Absolutely not.

 

[Nizar Hamdan]

Yes chicks can be raised alone (with the proper care) just spead LOTS of time with it. You could put a mirror are maybe a few stuffed animals in the brooder with it. It should be fine if you spend a lot of time with it. Good Luck

I mean yeah it could be but it would be lonely and your heart will hurt you on the chick it's better to get 2 but yes you can raise a chick alone

 

[Nizar Hamdan]

With the proper care and attention they can

Ofc with the proper care and attention he's true