I have a single chick and i cant afford another one

[TheRealGwynethPoultry]

I know you say she’s little and won’t need a coop for some time, but they grow SO fast. If you don’t already have a coop, then I think you should seriously consider rehoming. I built my own coop and it still cost a hell of a lot, buying one isn’t any cheaper. Also, just because your local farm store sells chicks doesn’t make it legal. You need to check city ordinances and neighborhood covenants.

 

[BelovedBirds]

i kinda worded it wrong but, she has everything she needs, im on the move trying to convince him, its slowly working.
i can indeed afford her, she’s already got everything a chick could need and i honestly think shes gotten attached to me? yk those things chicks do when they follow u around, she does that, wont sleep without me and is pretty overall happy by what i can see, also apparently her breed was only sold as females, they didnt sell males apparently ?

I know you're attached but unless he is willing to buy the coop and friends for her, it would be cruel to keep her. She sounds like she is imprinted on you, which does mean she likes you, but she could adjust to a new loving home. It may be best for her. They grow quickly

 

[MACCanadianCoop]

The people who have given you advice so far know what they are talking about. Listen to them.

 

[DonyaQuick]

..yes its legal? every farm store here sells chicks, turkeys and ducks

Sorry to possibly be a downer here, but it's the zoning, town, and/or home owners association rules that matter, not whether the nearby stores sell chicks. Some places also allow hens but forbid roosters. Odds are if your property is large and you can't hear or see your neighbors easily, or if your property is surrounded by farms, then you're most likely in an area where it's completely fine. However, if you're in a suburban area with more closely packed houses, or if there's a suburban area to one side and farms to the other, there may be no-rooster rules or even no-poultry rules. Unless you are on a farm or in the middle of farms, you will want to verify your local laws right now. In the event chickens aren't allowed, it will be much less painful to give the chick away now than to be forced to give it up down the line if some unsympathetic person reports it (happens to people all the time unfortunately - there are many threads on this site related to it in the laws & ordinances section). As a point of comparison, I'm in an agricultural area where all poultry is fine, but 10min down the road it's a no-rooster area due to being a more closely packed town. Where exactly the rooster vs. no-rooster line is drawn really is not obvious just from looking at plots and houses along the road. The people from that town and I shop at the same farm supply stores but the rules for what we can keep are different.

You also didn't list whether your chick was sold as a pullet or what breed it is. If it was listed as straight run, there's a roughly 50% chance you could have a cockerel, which is more likely to be a problem with any close-by neighbors (and possibly a problem with dad if he likes things quiet). Even if your chick was listed as a pullet, if it's not a sex-linked breed where then the determination isn't 100% accurate and there would be a very small chance of an accidental rooster that starts crowing at some point.

 

[sdm111]

Sorry but you're not ready for the task at hand. Don't be selfish and think about how the chicken will feel with you not being able to care for it properly.

 

[Justso]

i feel like that would be so cruel? i’d feel horrible for doing that, what if she notices its not real?

I did this for my single.

 

[Saveria]

I see two options. Find someone that lives close to you that is introducing chicks into their flock soon. Have them add your little one to their brooder. Then you can see her still when she grows up. Neighborhood forums exist in a lot of places and could help with this.

Or get your dad 100% on board by the end of this week. You will need his help and funds to make an adequate coop. He has to know that chicken keeping takes a lot of work, but is extremely rewarding, even beyond eggs. Show him some articles on here if you need to. You will inevitably need help, but if you got this far, then got here to ask us, I know that you can do it if you two work together.

Then go get a couple more chicks

 

[saysfaa]

... they follow u around, she does that, wont sleep without me and is pretty overall happy by what i can see..

Yes, you are the closest thing she has to a flock. Are you planning to move to the coop with her? Spend 20+ hours a day with her for the next several years?

People can fill up on social contact be ok for hours. Chickens can't.

 

[pinestamara]

I'm going to have to agree that this chick should be rehomed. If your dad already doesn't like the idea of having one chick, he's certainly not going to let you get everything you need to give this chick a good life, including flock mates. You can't keep a single chicken. They need to be in a flock. The minimum amount of chickens you should have is 3. You're also going to have to buy feed regularly, which is not cheap. You'll also have to build a coop, which is going to cost a lot too.

build? i could yk buy one, coops are only 200 in my area, nothing i cant afford, i’m pretty upper-middle class, my father could afford her but its just that he doesnt like the idea of having chickens as pets due to the fact they might spread something or they might die

Check the exact temperature of the heating pad so it's warm enough for the lone chick. Should be at around 90F degrees.

You can raise a single chick, just keep it company.

Sorry to possibly be a downer here, but it's the zoning, town, and/or home owners association rules that matter, not whether the nearby stores sell chicks. Some places also allow hens but forbid roosters. Odds are if your property is large and you can't hear or see your neighbors easily, or if your property is surrounded by farms, then you're most likely in an area where it's completely fine. However, if you're in a suburban area with more closely packed houses, or if there's a suburban area to one side and farms to the other, there may be no-rooster rules or even no-poultry rules. Unless you are on a farm or in the middle of farms, you will want to verify your local laws right now. In the event chickens aren't allowed, it will be much less painful to give the chick away now than to be forced to give it up down the line if some unsympathetic person reports it (happens to people all the time unfortunately - there are many threads on this site related to it in the laws & ordinances section). As a point of comparison, I'm in an agricultural area where all poultry is fine, but 10min down the road it's a no-rooster area due to being a more closely packed town. Where exactly the rooster vs. no-rooster line is drawn really is not obvious just from looking at plots and houses along the road. The people from that town and I shop at the same farm supply stores but the rules for what we can keep are different.

You also didn't list whether your chick was sold as a pullet or what breed it is. If it was listed as straight run, there's a roughly 50% chance you could have a cockerel, which is more likely to be a problem with any close-by neighbors (and possibly a problem with dad if he likes things quiet). Even if your chick was listed as a pullet, if it's not a sex-linked breed where then the determination isn't 100% accurate and there would be a very small chance of an accidental rooster that starts crowing at some point.

i live in a very rural town, all of my neighbors have chickens running around at this time, i decided to do it myself.

it was confirmed she isnt a rooster, shes a hen, i think shes a something rock, her breed is grey and black, barred rock i think? my store only sold hens, but i dont think anyone would mind if it was a rooster.

i dont really wanna give her up, i’ve become very attached to her

 

[JustBabyMargo]

I am very confused. If you can afford a coop, feed, and every other necessity for this chick, then why can’t you afford another one? Your options are limited here, it’s either re-home or get your chick a friend and a coop and expect to be paying for a lot of feed in the future.

There is a reason why all these members are telling you to re-home your bird. I know you may not want to hear it, but, unfortunately, you don’t sound like you really know what you’re doing here. I know right now you probably feel like you can’t get rid of this new baby chick that you have adopted, but this situation isn’t sounding so great. You have to think about what’s best for the chick, and that is either one of those two options. It cannot live on it’s own.