really need advice!! PLEASE!!

[wosknsndiigv]

Hi all i’m new to this website so please bear with me, my family was given 3, 1 week old lavender orpington chicks, 2 have sadly passed away and one is left, he/she is fully feathered and caged outdoors away from the rest as i do have 9 hens/1 rooster free ranging most of the time, i closely supervised the babies while they went out and explored but now i have no idea what to do with the surviving chick. its too big to be inside anymore, too small to explore with the bigger ones. ive tried a mirror, but that doesnt keep it much company and ive called farm supply stores like tsc that sell chicks but they only sell freshly hatched and im not sure if thats the way to go as they could be intimidated by the sole older one. ive tried to keep the chick company but its summer, its hot humid and mosquitos are everywhere and as much as i would love to have a chick on my lap all day i have stuff to do!! i really really need advice as to what to do because im so overwhelmed.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

A lone chicken, especially a young one will gladly accept friends. The first few hours or a day may be awkward but they will quickly take to each other I've had lone chicks a month old or older quickly adopt chicks as young as 3 days. Your best bet is to get two or 3 chicks. Most stores will have a minimum chick purchase. Plus if you only got one and one dies, you are right back where you started.

 

[BoundlessLove]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens!
I agree with @ChickenCanoe.
They should be fine together after a day or so.

 

[wosknsndiigv]

A lone chicken, especially a young one will gladly accept friends. The first few hours or a day may be awkward but they will quickly take to each other I've had lone chicks a month old or older quickly adopt chicks as young as 3 days. Your best bet is to get two or 3 chicks. Most stores will have a minimum chick purchase. Plus if you only got one and one dies, you are right back where you started.

right okay thank you!! but the freshly hatched chicks would need to be inside with a lamp, right?? ( i should have specified the surviving is about 5-6 weeks now ) would there be enough space for both groups? i would try to supervise them outside whenever i can but the babies couldnt stay outside for long like the big one? sorry if im overthinking it i just want to go about this the right way.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

right okay thank you!! but the freshly hatched chicks would need to be inside with a lamp, right?? ( i should have specified the surviving is about 5-6 weeks now ) would there be enough space for both groups? i would try to supervise them outside whenever i can but the babies couldnt stay outside for long like the big one? sorry if im overthinking it i just want to go about this the right way.

That depends mostly on your ambient temperatures. For the last few weeks, baby chicks could have survived outside here comfortably. It doesn't even get out of the 80s at night.
Where are you located?
IMHO, a lone 6 week chick will gladly accept friends after the initial shock of interlopers wears off.
Chicks tend to huddle at night and sometimes during the day which keeps them warm depending on how many there are. As a rule of thumb, 90F the first week and drop by 5F per week thereafter. When that schedule nears the ambient temperature, they don't need supplemental heat. Judge by their behavior, not the thermometer.

 

[Yardmom]

Any chance of putting the chick inside a smaller enclosure inside the coop or in the area the Bigs free range? If it were my chick I would work to get it integrated into the flock now. Don't expect the chick to be an active part of the main flock until laying age, but it might be able to live peacefully among them.

 

[rural mouse]

Integrating with the bigs is the direction I would go too. Lots of line of sight blockers, upended boxes with doors cut for baby to run into that bigs can't (sturdy enough for bigs to stand on and not collapse), branches to climb/roost on that are all over the run (most birds will leave others alone if they're not on the same surface), multiple feed and water stations scattered around (the higher protein needs of a growing baby won't hurt the bigs long term and will actually help them get through their coming moult more easily. Just keep a container of oyster shell available as the grower feeds don't usually have enough in them. (The bigs WILL eat the higher protein feed over their normal feed).

 

[wosknsndiigv]

That depends mostly on your ambient temperatures. For the last few weeks, baby chicks could have survived outside here comfortably. It doesn't even get out of the 80s at night.
Where are you located?
IMHO, a lone 6 week chick will gladly accept friends after the initial shock of interlopers wears off.
Depending on how many chicks there are, they tend to huddle at night and sometimes a day which keeps them warm. As a rule of thumb, 90F the first week and drop by 5F per week thereafter. When that schedule nears the ambient temperature, they don't need supplemental heat. Judge by their behavior, not the thermometer.

texas, really never drops below 75 at night its only in the middle of the day when it definitely feels uncomfortable to be out but the big ones have more opportunities to cool down. but unfortunately i called nearby chick sellers and none have any, im most likely going to get he/she baby chick friends when theyre back in stock now im just looking for a temporary solution! you guys definitely know more than me so do you think the chick would be fine with multiple short visits from my family until i can get my hands on some more chicks??

 

[wosknsndiigv]

Any chance of putting the chick inside a smaller enclosure inside the coop or in the area the Bigs free range? If it were my chick I would work to get it integrated into the flock now. Don't expect the chick to be an active part of the main flock until laying age, but it might be able to live peacefully among them.

well 3 of my chickens are rhode island pullets(MEAN!!), i was given them after the bigger ones so they have their clique, the laying hens breed and the rooster have one too, the size and color difference would make the surviving the odd one out and he/she definitely cannot win a 1v10 and yes he/she has a cage in the coop now, but since they free range most of the day if i leave he/she in the coop that is when im afraid it will get lonely

 

[ChickenCanoe]

texas, really never drops below 75 at night its only in the middle of the day when it definitely feels uncomfortable to be out but the big ones have more opportunities to cool down. but unfortunately i called nearby chick sellers and none have any, im most likely going to get he/she baby chick friends when theyre back in stock now im just looking for a temporary solution! you guys definitely know more than me so do you think the chick would be fine with multiple short visits from my family until i can get my hands on some more chicks??

Though not ideal. All you can do is your best and it will have to do.