Separating hatch mates/hard stomach bumps

[Junkybird]

I am new to chickens and have a question about separating chicks and keeping one by itself. I have 6 week old Dominickers, 4 week old RIR's, and four 3 week old Americanas. All but the Americanas have been put outside into the coop with a lamp.

I would like to add in the Americanas, BUT one of them is a runt. It is literally 1/3 the size of its hatch mates. It only has it's wing feathers coming in, and it just so much smaller.

My question is this: Can I put the other three outside in the coop and keep the runt inside in a brooder? Is it okay to separate one chick by itself? From other posts about runts, it sounds like it probably won't make it anyway. OR should I go ahead and put them all in the coop and hope for the best. Will it's hatch mates "protect" it in any way?

It doesn't have pasty butt, but it does have a hard lump near it's anus, not the crop. From prior reading, I tried molasses, olive oil, warm water bath soaks, massaging, etc. It is eating, drinking, scratching, behaving normally.

 

[Junkybird]

I'm so bummed. This was my first post and I didn't get any responses

Nobody has suggestions about keeping one chick by itself until it is a little bigger. I am just worried that you aren't supposed to do that. I just don't want to do something wrong.

 

[noitulover]

not sure what to do

sorry...

hatchmates definitely won't protect it.

if a chicken is sick/injured, they will peck each other to death.

if you want to keep it separate, i don't think that would be a bad thing, but also letting it stay with the others might not be bad either. if they're not pecking it death, maybe it is okay?

anyone with any suggestions?

maybe post pics?

 

[sunnibunny99]

Hmm... A lone chick... umm....


It WILL be bored and lonely. But if you spend enough time with it it may be ok.

Ofcourse im new at chickens too. Ive only had mine for 2 months! But hopefully an expert can confirm this answer

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

I have two "runts" I put out in the big brooder (attatched to the hen house with a lamp but access to outside)
They are the first ones to run outside into the cold every morning, they demand their breakfast the loudest and insist on standing out there shivering all day. The others are all fully feathered and twice their size, these two still have fuzz and bald spots with feathers on their wings only.
I have no worries about them making it,theyve been out there for two weeks now and are doing great - they are ugly but they are the ones sure to live.

 

[noitulover]

i've never had a chick raised by itself from a young age, but we did once have a chicken that stayed be herself...

my fiance was driving down a highway for work and found what we believe to be a Tyson's chicken on the side of the road... one of the crates had busted open and another chicken had gotten run over, but this one made it to the side of the road and was just sitting there.

anyways, he brought it home and nursed it back to health and she was fine by herself! (we didn't have any chickens then, she was what kind of started our chicken craze)

she followed him around in particular and went everywhere with him!

so, long story, sorry... but your chick might be just fine and extra friendly if raised alone...

but let's hear if anyone else knows about what that bump might be!

 

[Junkybird]

Thanks so much for your responses

So grateful. I think I might put the others in and leave this one in the house with us. He's just so tiny. I just went to take a pic and my camera seems to not be working. I will try to get one up when I can.