Single Baby Chick Alone-- Should I?

[LaneyAngel]

Sometime today, I had to go out for an appointment and I was gone for quite a few hours. My chick is a lone chick, single, all by its little self. So when I got home, it was though the chick was screaming for me.

It would start cheeping hysterically, long, drawn out cheeps, throwing itself at the side of the brooder, trying to get out and come to me.
I had to sit with the chick in my shirt for more than an hour, because it wouldn't calm down.

I finally got it calmed down enough to go back in the brooder, but I don't like the idea of this happening too much, and was wondering if I should get the little one a companion? Buy a random chick from the pet store or something, just so that this little one won't be alone?

What gets done in this situation.

Baby is 2 days old.

 

[WalkingWolf]

Get a small stuffed animal to act as a surrogate mommy. If you can find a old fashioned clock that ticks put it behind the mommy. Also put a small mirror in it's brooder with it. These are all things I have done for lone parrots to keep them calm when alone as babies. The bond with a parrot at the early stages is even stronger than a chicken since the caretaker actually feeds them. When the chick gets older the mirror should be enough.

BTW when my ducks sibling was killed by a hawk, the mirror worked very well. It settled him down completely, now that he has other ducks he has forgotten the mirror.

Proud Mom of 2 Pomeranians (Angel & Emmy), 2 Ring Neck Doves (Lilly & Noah) 1 Fantail Pigeon (Moses), 2 Frizzle Chickens (Jareth and Sarah), 1 Silky X (Flower), 1 Pekin Hen (Cosette) and 1 Crazy Looking 2 Month Old Chick (Hobbit) ................and an egg...

BTW you live in Australia and no parrots...LOL​

 

[crazyhen]

get the baby a friend they are flock fowl. It needs some company. Also put something like a stuffed soft animal or fowl that has your scent on it with it to snuggle to. Bless its heart and yours. Jean

 

[LaneyAngel]

BTW you live in Australia and no parrots...LOL

So? I no like parrots much. Have had more than enough of them in my life.




Baby does have a stuffed animal in there (funnily enough, its a giant stuffed chicken), also has some fuzzy weird stuff like feathery wool that I knitted into a scarf a couple years ago. The heat light is near to the cuddly toy, so the baby can snuggle with it and keep under the warmth.


But earlier, I put baby into the brooder, and for a little while, all was quiet, but then after a little while, the screaming started back up again.
I think tomorrow is definitely "find a companion" day.
Whether its one or two remains to be seen.... But I WILL get one.​

 

[Suellyn]

Yes, I would get it a companion ASAP... Chickens are social/flock animals, they need other birds!! Chickens also "imprint" on their Momma and as far as this little one is concered, you're it!!! And since this chick doesn't have any siblings to bond with, you are even MORE important to it...

From this chicks point of view, he/she is all alone; No Momma or siblings nearby which is very scary/lonely and not a "natural" state for him to be in (biologically speaking).

The surrogate stuffed animal, mirror, etc., can help, but a live companion would ultimately be much more satisfying for it, and will take some of the Momma Hen "pressure" off of YOU

...

Good luck!!

 

[LaneyAngel]

3am

I am sitting here crying as I type from lack of sleep.
I am very very very tired right now.


Baby has a stuffed toy, a mirror, food, water, a nest with the toy, everything it could want.
Clearly except me.


I leave sight of baby and baby starts screaming. Am sitting here now with the little poop in my hand asleep coz its the only way to keep the peace.
The screaming from baby when I'm not around is SO loud, its unbearable. You can hear it in every room of the house. My dad is getting rather angry.
I have considered moving the entire brooding box into the laundry room, which is away from the house, but baby gets its little self in such a pent up state, it stresses terribly.



I didnt realize chickens really did imprint. That really sucks coz I was quite literally the first being baby saw. I watched baby hatch!!!!

I am SO tired.

 

[Laskaland]

Sounds like you have a young chick already in your gang, maybe you could place that one with the baby. Is your silkie calm? You could try that too and see how it goes. You will eventually put loudmouth with the rest of them anyway, might as well give it a go. Silkie might "adopt" it...
Or, just go spent the $3 on another baby chick.

 

[WalkingWolf]

A small 2 day old chick you should be able to keep with you most the time. As long as you keep it warm. But it will probably make matters worse. Ducklings throw fits when they are alone, but sometimes if it is a lone duck they have to be alone. At least a chicken is not as messy as a duck, but still nobody wants poop in their pocket. I take it you handled the baby chick a lot after it was hatched, and that is ok but it became dependent on you for company. My wife did that with 2 silkies 4 weeks old she held them all the time. Well when she left for work I put them in the brooder pen and they cried all day until she got home. At the time there were 2 ducks also in the pen so they still had company and they cried. As they got older they got over it.

 

[stumble_n_mumble]

hey, i feel your pain. this kept happening to me from two batches one one chick kept hatching. it was terrible. i tried using the stuffed animals but they soon figure out it doesn't move and isn't real. it is great that it is attached to you but definitely get it something else. for me the first time it happened i had a silkie chick and i got her a duckling and now there best of pals! lol the second time it happened i got yet another silkie and bought 2 sex links one black and one cream. it was the best decision because not only were they quiet but very very happy!!!

 

[rebecca10782]

Nothing is going to take the place of another chicken. You have to get him at least one friend. It is better to get more than one in case one dies. Like any animal, they need others to keep them company. A stuffed animal will not take the place of a friend. They need to interact and play. If they don't you will have a very depressed chicken. When I had a flock of babies in the brooder, I would let them out to play for a while on some towels and two of them would get into a fight stance, run as fast as they could towards each other and then fly up in the air and chest bump each other

It is the cutest thing ever.
I wouldn't put him in with a grown hen unless your absolutely sure she won't hurt it.