how can I help raise a lone chick!

[SouthernParadise]

Whatever you do, don’t do what I did years ago and carry the chick around with you tucked in your shirt…unless of course you’re ok with a chuppy (chicken puppy) that follows you everywhere and lays eggs in your shoes.

 

[Morgan231]

You could try putting the chick with the silkie hen and see how they do.
If the hen will adopt the chick, that will be convenient for you and good for the chick-- she will provide warmth, and teach it everything a chick needs to know.

But this might not work. A hen usually needs to be broody for about 3 weeks before she is willing to care for chicks. It is rare for a hen to accept chicks when she has been broody for only a few days. I think it may be worth trying in your case, but be prepared to rescue the chick quickly if she does not accept it.

I would probably try giving the chick to the hen in whichever place the hen is sitting, and watch what happens. If she accepts the chick, then you can decide whether to move them both to somewhere else or to leave them there.


Chicks usually peck everything to learn about it, so the chick will probably learn to eat and drink anyway.

If you want to help, you can use your finger to "peck" the food and water.

You an also put shiny marbles or something similar in the water. The chick will try to peck the shiny things, get water in its beak, and learn to drink. Chicks usually learn to drink anyway, but I think this helps, and I know it makes me feel better

okay thank you! ill try later on when all are tired as I've heard that's best to introduce

 

[Morgan231]

Whatever you do, don’t do what I did years ago and carry the chick around with you tucked in your shirt…unless of course you’re ok with a chuppy (chicken puppy) that follows you everywhere and lays eggs in your shoes.

awww that's so cute bless her haha

 

[NatJ]

okay thank you! ill try later on when all are tired as I've heard that's best to introduce

Night can be a good time to introduce a chick, because then they have all night to snuggle and "talk" to each other (peeping and clucking), so by morning they feel like they belong to each other.

Night can also be a bad time to introduce a chick, because you can't see what the hen is doing unless you have a light (which disturbs her), and at some point you go to bed and are not there if the chick needs rescuing.

Overall, I prefer to introduce chicks at night, but there are good points either way.

 

[FunClucks]

yes It is the hens baby, she seems settled she has a brooder plate and I put a stuff toy in for her and when I went back and checked on her she was there fast asleep snuggles into the toy. However I do know that chicks learn off each other! so what can I do to teach her how to eat and drink? x and also the same hen has been in introductions with a chick previously and she was fine however I understand that with the age difference the hen will probably get fed up as last time the chick was a lot older than this chick when introduced

If it's a day old chick up to maybe 3 days old, go ahead and see if you can sneak it under your broody hen right before bedtime when she's on the nest. If she hears the chick peeping she may adopt it. If you can get it under her and pull out any eggs, she may think she's hatched the chick and stop being broody.

Some hens this works fine, and some hens attack the chick. No way to tell unless you try. Worked great for me recently.

 

[Morgan231]

If it's a day old chick up to maybe 3 days old, go ahead and see if you can sneak it under your broody hen right before bedtime when she's on the nest. If she hears the chick peeping she may adopt it. If you can get it under her and pull out any eggs, she may think she's hatched the chick and stop being broody.

Some hens this works fine, and some hens attack the chick. No way to tell unless you try. Worked great for me recently.

I did try earlier and I think she was confused and started to puff up, ill definitely try tomorrow and supervise them