I have a single chick and i cant afford another one

[TheOddOneOut]

barred rocks! i absolutely love this breed for their pattern and how talkative and curious they are

Any photos?

 

[Chicken poppy]

i will admit, i did not research beforehand, but since i got velvet and her (hopefully) sisters, i’ve done quite the research on absolutely EVERYTHING.

i’m still unsure about if i’ll get a premade coop or build my own

Premade coops are pricey, and you have to know what your looking at. Many are unrealistic for living standards of poultry and are quite deceiving. I would build your own, just know what your getting into and have plans. Don’t wait last minute, and do it sooner than later.

Make sure to do research next time when getting animals. Like hamsters, if you thought they needed a friend, boom. Hamster dead. They are solitary. Very important to do research before even considering one so you know what your getting into.

 

[Chookiemom]

Bottom line is.. if your parents do not want it you should respect their wishes. When you move you can get as many chickens as you want. You’ll understand one day.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Bottom line is.. if your parents do not want it you should respect their wishes. When you move you can get as many chickens as you want. You’ll understand one day.

Yup. Unfortunately, im guessing you got this without your parents permission OP. And if thats the case, then that would be bad. Now your stuck with a single chick cause of that.

Obviously, that could totally not be the case, and its still unfortunate and i hope you and the chick are well. But now you know what to do for next time. Its all a learning experience.

 

[YellowRoseFarm]

@pinestamara, So glad you and your family decided to get your little peep some friends!

You've undoubtedly encountered contrasting opinions in these forums on pre-fab vs. DIY coops. Many people here built their coops years ago. Others had a shed or plenty of materials laying around their properties they could salvage and repurpose.

I'm going to catch a lot of flack because of this, but we bought a pre-fab coop because when we priced the materials in our area and accounted for supply chain issues, it was more than double the price for us (because, you know, inflation). Additionally, my husband is a general contractor, so skill isn't an issue, but we don't have a lot of materials that haven't been allocated for client projects. So, the dream coop will have to wait. In the meantime, we found a Producer's Pride coop that will serve as our starter coop for the foreseeable future.

Just know that if you buy a pre-fab coop, you will need to modify it. Here are a few tips based on my extensive research that may help you:

- For a coop that will hold 3-4 standard-size birds comfortably, you will need to spend at least $350-$500 (USD). That might not be the case where you are, but that's pretty standard in the southern US;

- However many birds the manufacturer says the coop will fit, halve that. If it says it holds six chickens, that's really only three standard-size birds. You can get away with a smaller run if you are free-ranging, but take into account the prevalence of predators and the avian flu outbreak before you commit to that just yet;

- You will have to do some predator proofing. Many manufacturers will say it's "predator resistant," but that's not predator-proof. At the very least, you'll need some hardware cloth to either skirt or bury around the perimeter. The holes should be no bigger than .5 inches or 1.27 cm. For reference, a snake can fit through a 1cm space if it really wants to, and a raccoon can work any lock a 2-year old can;

- Ventilation. Most pre-fab coops don't have enough of it, and you'll need to add some if you live in a warm climate. Also, it seems counter-intuitive, but ventilation is equally essential in the cold as well. Moisture buildup in your coop is a very bad thing;

- Try to avoid Amazon coops if you can. Cheap, thin wood and stapled-on wire will not last you very long, nor will they protect your birds. Try, if you can, to find something with a thicker welded wire for the run; and

- You're going to need to paint or stain or otherwise weatherproof whatever pre-fab coop you buy to better hold up to the elements.

This isn't a comprehensive guide for buying a pre-fab coop, but it's a start. Good luck!

 

[BarnwoodCoop]

uh. i know i’m gonna look absolutely horrible but i only have 1 chick, i bought her from cal ranch. uh, i’m a minor? so.

my fathers angry enough already that i got this one and no matter how hard i try to convince him he wont let me get another one.

i have everything she needs.. but cheap brand ig? she has a heat pad, a feeder and water thing, she also has clothes on top of the heat pad, heat pad is always at medium low unless cold in the house.

but im afraid she’ll become depressed and i know she will, how do i stop this? or better yet, how can i give her a better shot at living a happy life? shes abt 7 days old, 9 now maybe.

her behavior doesnt seem too off, she chirps constantly especially in her sleep and refuses to sleep unless i cup her in my hands or hold her close to my chest, that might just be because shes used to huddling together with other chicks.

please help.

you should probably rehome her. it sucks but chicks do grow into chickens- chickens need coops and security measures and so many other things that i’m assuming based on your situation that you aren’t in a position to provide.

i have tried raising a lone chick before and it is not for everybody! if she hasn’t started already- she is going to chirp the house down when you aren’t with her because you are her everything. we ended up caving and getting our lone one more broodmates.

please- for her welfare, rehome her. chickens are flock animals, while they can survive by themselves, you said you wanted to give her a shot at a happy life. rehoming is the answer to that unless your dad changes his mind and decides to support getting a whole flock :/

 

[YellowRoseFarm]

you should probably rehome her. it sucks but chicks do grow into chickens- chickens need coops and security measures and so many other things that i’m assuming based on your situation that you aren’t in a position to provide.

i have tried raising a lone chick before and it is not for everybody! if she hasn’t started already- she is going to chirp the house down when you aren’t with her because you are her everything. we ended up caving and getting our lone one more broodmates.

please- for her welfare, rehome her. chickens are flock animals, while they can survive by themselves, you said you wanted to give her a shot at a happy life. rehoming is the answer to that unless your dad changes his mind and decides to support getting a whole flock :/

OP updated their post indicating that they got more chicks - barred rocks - after taking the advice of many in this thread. So, that's good!

 

[BarnwoodCoop]

OP updated their post indicating that they got more chicks - barred rocks - after taking the advice of many in this thread. So, that's good!

i’m real glad actually- this whole thread was looking like op was going to refuse to give up the chick for its best interest. i can only hope their father is 100% on board with chickens, all the work and money involved too.

even though this did end well, op buying a single chick without their parents knowledge and forcing chickenkeeping onto them AFTER already having a chick is extremely shitty inconsiderate behavior. chickens are WORK, they are physical and emotional labor that you never get a day off from.

trapping people into pets is inconsiderate and i honestly feel a little bad for ops dad. why couldn’t they have had a conversation about chickens before getting a chick?

 

[Iluveggers]

I still am waiting to see pics of the chicks! It’s an unwritten rule you have to share new chick pics on BYC! @pinestamara

 

[Chicken poppy]

i’m real glad actually- this whole thread was looking like op was going to refuse to give up the chick for its best interest. i can only hope their father is 100% on board with chickens, all the work and money involved too.

even though this did end well, op buying a single chick without their parents knowledge and forcing chickenkeeping onto them AFTER already having a chick is extremely shitty inconsiderate behavior. chickens are WORK, they are physical and emotional labor that you never get a day off from.

trapping people into pets is inconsiderate and i honestly feel a little bad for ops dad. why couldn’t they have had a conversation about chickens before getting a chick?

I could go on for many reasons on what issues could be, however i will never know the exact intention OP had. I know my dad was the one who helped me get chickens and was onboard, but didn’t like the idea of them after a while. If thats the case, i totally understand.