How do I do this?

[Raining Rage]

I had this group (11 chicks) of 1 month old chicks that were now staying outside. Later that night (2 nights ago), the raccoons got to them and killed 10 leaving 1 alive. When I checked on them in the morning, the one alive was scared and of course I took her inside and took care of her. She later got attached to me. Too attached to me.

I brought another chick to be friends with her but she just wants to cuddle with me. Every time I leave, she chirps so loud. I love my chick, but she needs to hang out with other chicks. I just don’t know how to make her detach from me. It’s been going on ever since I got her out of that horrid sight of her dead siblings.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Ignore her. She will adapt.

 

[Raining Rage]

Ignore her. She will adapt.

Okay. I’ll try that! Thanks.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Tough love Perhaps you need more than one friend, more the merrier and all the commotion may distract the loner

 

[Raining Rage]

Tough love Perhaps you need more than one friend, more the merrier and all the commotion may distract the loner

I’ll be getting 4 more in the next couple of days. I’ll see if it works.

 

[Kemical Fenix]

So she stays inside all the time now?

 

[Kemical Fenix]

Often times older chicks dont want anything to do with younger ones.

 

[CSAchook]

Ignore her. She will adapt.

X2 I had the same problem with my lonely only but he eventually bonded with the other chicks I bought.

Sorry for your loss

 

[Lady of McCamley]

So do I have this right...you have a one month old chick that was outside but now inside, after the flock was decimated by a coon, that is now cheeping a lot.

Which makes me look at physical discomforts for this chick. I wonder if your one month old chick is too hot being inside after being acclimated outside and that's why she is chirping? Do you have her under heat lamps inside?

Or it could be cold which is why it likes to be held. It may miss the warmth of the huddling mass of her siblings to keep warm. An only chick does not provide the heat as a flock of chicks. Providing a heat pad approach can work if it is cold if the heat lamp is too much, or you don't want to re-introduce a lamp.

It may simply be uncertain of the new surroundings. It will settle as its only been a couple of days.

How old is the other new chick? Is that one under heat lamp? The light may be unsettling to the month old who has been weaned off of constant light.

Also remember after a month the flock order was already being established so your little one month old has had a complete shift in flock order and is very uncertain where she/he fits in at the moment. That will cause cheeping. It may or may not bond immediately with the friend you bought depending upon its age and even its breed (if it looks similar).

Also check for hidden signs of physical injury from the coon that you might not have caught. You might also consider some Chick Saver in water as it may be feeling unwell due to the stress. Stress is very hard on chickens and can lower their immune system quickly. Boosting with vitamins after stress can be very helpful. Also watch for coccidiosis which may raise its ugly head after a stress incident. The cheeping, especially if huddling, may be a first sign of coccidiosis.

After some physical assessment, a keen eye for potential illnes, some TLC, being well hydrated, warmed if cold, cooled if hot, and vitamin boost for stressed immune, with no sign of injury or illness, your one month old should soon settle.

Do watch the friend if it is much younger than the one month old. Some older chicks can haze younger chicks too, causing them stress.

Please keep us posted.

LofMc

 

[Henriettamom919]

I’ll be getting 4 more in the next couple of days. I’ll see if it works.

It's hard but probably the only effective way! I'm the same way and would've done the same thing but I've since learned my help more often than not only further complicates matters.

Her new friends will become her family; give her a little time