Going to have only one hatch. What to do?

[SkyWarrior]

I've got a problem. All the eggs I've gotten from mail order I think are duds except one. That means a lonely little chick. I really don't know where to get local chicks around here and my youngest chicks are three weeks old. Would this work if I put a barrier between them?

Thoughts?

 

[kidcody]

Sure!

 

[shelleyd2008]

I wouldn't put a newborn in with 3-week-olds. First off, they have different temperature requirements (a day-old should have about 95 degrees, 3-w/o's should have about 80). Second, the 3-w/o's are easily twice as big as the day-old unless the day-old is LF and the 3-w/o's are bantam. Third, even if they are the same relative size, they are not at the same maturity level. A day-old will sit around and sleep a lot, 3-w/o's are very active.

If you have a feather duster you can put it in a brooder with the lone chick, this should keep it company. Otherwise, put a small stuffed animal in the brooder with the new chick. When the chick is older (2-3 weeks) you could probably then put it with the other chicks, but not right now.

ETA: If you have one chick who is smaller than the rest in your 3-w/o group you can put it with the newborn when it is 4-5 days old. Just be sure to watch them closely to make sure the older one is not picking on the younger one.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You might try posting on your State thread to see if anyone near you can help.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=99679

Housing them side by side with a barrier as you proposed is a good idea. It really should help. You can add a stuffed animal or maybe hang something like a dust mop for it to get under for comfort. Putting in a small mirror so it can see its own reflection also helps keep them from being so lonely.

Good luck!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Again, I have to disagree. Day-olds and 3-week-olds have different temperature requirements and shouldn't be in the same brooder.

 

[MamaMarcy]

I had a lone chick hatch today (my first hatch ever). I have two 3 1/2 week old chicks, and opted to put the new baby in once she was dry. I moved the cuckoo maran chick to a small hen house with a heat light (she's enclosed) nd kept our silkie chick with the newborn. pluggie, the silkie, is kinda special and so far they seem to be getting along splendidly. I was farid the CM would tromple the baby.

Anyway, Pluggie the silkie baby acts more like a newborn. She's all cuddled up with new Wynona. She's about 1 1/2 times the new peep's size, and was behind in growth from her hatching mates (who I adopted out). She kept getting "poop plugs'' stuck to her butt (hence "Pluggie") in her first week or so, which I had to manually remove, cusing a bald butt. I suspect she's literally a dwarf or something, beyond being bantam.

I like the idea of a partition if you can, or keeping her separate with a mirror & comfort item, unless your other chicks are small.

Let us know how it goes...

 

[cmom]

I had some chicks that were a month difference in age. When two chicks were a month old and the other was two months old I put them together. I didn't have any problems. When the lone chick was in a brooder box I put a terry cloth in with it. It like to sleep on the cloth.

 

[SkyWarrior]

My first birds, I had 4 week old chicks and 1 week old chicks and they did really well. But I can't be sure of these. Sigh.