Can i raise one baby chick

[Lily559]

Can I raise just one baby chick. Will she become lonely

 

[ChickenCanoe]

She'll become and stay lonely. Chickens are flock animals - not loners like Jaguars, Leopards, skunks and sloths.

 

[Lily559]

She'll become and stay lonely. Chickens are flock animals - not loners like Jaguars or Leopards.

Can I get 2

 

[HappyClucker7]

Normally 3 is the recommended minimum.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

2 is a lot better than one. However, I recommend at least 3. Chickens die. If you have two and lose one, you'll be left with a sad bird.

 

[Folly's place]

Agree, at least three, never ever one alone.
Mary

 

[Ryan A]

It depends on how often you visit the bird. If you visit it several times per day, the bird won't get as lonely as if you visited once. But generally it's better to have 4 or more at a time

 

[Callender Girl]

It's true that they will do better with a friend or two. I was given a single chick last fall and because of her size and the lateness of the season (frigid weather on the way), I raised Dottie as a lone chick.

She lived indoors all winter and come spring, could not make friends with the other birds. She free ranges outdoors during the day and stays inside in her large dog kennel at night.

Is she sad? No, she is terribly imprinted on me. But she goes outside and eats green things and bugs, sometimes dust bathes near the other girls, enjoys the wind and sun like any other chicken. I wish she could have had a chicken companion as she was growing up, but she's pretty well adjusted. And, she rewards my efforts with beautiful blue eggs! If you can, get your baby some friends.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

There are anecdotal stories of lone chickens.
I knew a guy with two silkies. One died and he didn't get another but the remaining one became a house chicken with a house of dogs and cats. It seemed fine. He explained that the silkie thought it was a cat.
I had a lone chick hatch once. A friend took it to raise till I was able to hatch more. She gave it a mirror and a feather duster for company. By the time I got the cockerel back, he was a little psychotic. After the newly hatched chicks were about a week old I put them in with the 8 week old cockerel. At first he freaked out but eventually he started mothering them and would attack my hand every time I reached into the brooder.

 

[Parront]

Birds raised alone too long do not know that they are birds any more. You will be the flock, and the bird will suffer whenever you leave it alone. My parrot is an only bird, she spends a lot of time with me. I am retired and home all day, so I adopted her. She tells me, "Come here!" when I have left her in her cage when I have gone to the store for a couple of hours. Your chicken will not be a chicken, it will be a very dependent pet raised without other birds. You are right to consider this subject before getting a lone chick. A small flock of 3 or 4 is a lot of fun to watch, and they interact with you, too, with such a small number. You will still be able to spoil them as much as you want! Just not too many treats!