How can I safely integrate a one day old chick with a one week old duckling and a two week old chick

[zowie214]

I'm new to raising chickens and ducks and I only have the three. The duckling and the older chick are best friends and hate being separated. I just had a new chick hatch and I have nowhere I can put her except with the big ones. The chick tries to approach them a lot but the bigger chick chases it away and pecks it, and the duck has pecked it before too, but I'm not sure if it was mean or not since she does it to the big chicken and me all the time, kind of sifting through the feathers. I always remove the smaller chick when this happens though. She has a little cave she can crawl into and they can't follow her but I have school tomorrow and I'm worried about leaving them alone. They have two food bowls and a large waterer so that is not a problem, but I'm concerned the bigger chick won't just let the little one go. I have no where else I can put her though. Please help me?

 

[drumstick diva]

I would definitely NOT try to integrate the chick at her tender age. You leave them together and you will return to a dead day old chick. Make a little brooder for her and make sure she knows where food & water is & knows how to eat & drink. Give her a mirror so she thinks there is another chick. Also a stuffed toy she can cuddle with. Be sure to check her for pasty butt.

 

[zowie214]

I'd like to be able to make a second one but I don't have the means to make a second one tonight. I don't have a very good second heat lamp, and it's not very safe, the bulb is a higher wattage than the lamp itself and the clamp doesn't really work. I can make one tomorrow but I just cannot do it tonight. I just need a way to ensure she is safe for one day. I did leave them alone unsupervised earlier today for about two hours and no one seemed injured or upset I really have no idea what happened. I don't have anything to really be able to use as a divider either.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC - it seems as though you may be between a rock and a hard place. Personally, I'd be inclined to use your best lamp for the one day old chick, and put your other two in a cardboard box, next to a radiator, or other heat source until you can build a second brooder. If they are indoors, your two week old chick should not need heat any longer (you don't mention the age of the duckling).

Good luck
CT

 

[zowie214]

The duckling just turned a week old. Newt is the one day old and.. well I kinda just put her in the bathtub :/

The two week old has always been really independent and not much for warming up to anyone but the duckling but I had to help the one day old hatch and she's very clingy, I guess? I feel bad leaving her alone.
I'm just 17 so I don't exactly have access to as good of supplies as most of the people on here do. I can make her a better brooder tomorrow though, will the bathtub do for a little while?

 

[Pork Pie]

IMO thats the wrong way round to do it. Your day old is much more delicate and less robust than the other two - it needs the warmth a lot more than the other two.

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas, zowie214, and ! Great to have you in our community! You've already received lots of great ideas so I'll just say best wishes and good luck to you!

 

[N F C]

 

[Teila]

G’Day from down under zowie214

Welcome!

Sorry, I am probably late to the party but I wonder, seen as you can not divide the brooder you have, can you fit a box in there with some holes in it? Put the little one in there so that they are sharing the heat lamp, can see each other through the holes for company for the little one but no-one gets hurt? Probably still with a soft toy for her to cuddle up to.

I hope you enjoy BYC. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun. Unlike non chicken loving friends, family and colleagues, BYC’ers never tire of stories or pictures that feature our feathered and non feathered friends

 

[zowie214]

Hi! So it's been a few days, she spent Thursday in the tub by herself with a mirror and stuffed animal and mostly slept all day. When I got home she was put in with the bigger chick and duckling while I supervised and things went roughly okay. She cried when I took her away from the other two to sleep but when I put her back in the brooder with the others the chicken chased her around, and after that she was happy to sleep separately. However the next night she slept with the big birds with no trouble at all, and has spent the weekend in peace with the older birds. She puffed up at the older chick and even pushed him off his roost at one point. The older chick gradually stopped pecking at her and chasing her, Bean hasn't even pecked her at all today. She sleeps with them and eats and everyone seems to be getting along well now. Not sure if I want to leave her with them tomorrow but it doesn't seem like the older chick is going to hurt her.