Single chick hatched. How do I raise it?

[drangle]

Thanks for the support. I feel your pain. I am hopeful that this will work out but i also wouldn’t be surprised if something happens and my family member isn’t able to pick up and deliver chicks.
I am not able to purchase until day of pick up per company policy but it looks like I have a choice between black and blue copper Marian’s, olive eggers, cali whites, and lavender orps.


I am leaning toward the Oliver eggers as I might get some cool teal eggs from their off spring if I cross them with my cream legbar Roos. The cali whites should be good egg producers which is appealing, I don’t care for all white or all back chickens though.

I hope you are able to find something they fits your flock.

Part of me wishes none of the chicks hatched. Part of me is glad I at least got one as I am excited to add this chicks genitive into my flock.

 

[Uwish]

I can order chicks but they will be 10 or 11 days younger

I added 2 hatchlings with my single 3 week old and had no issues at all. The 3 week old whom I have named (motor mouth lol) absolutely loves being a big brother/sister. Seriously embraced that roll

 

[drangle]

That’s good to know. The chicks I am trying to get will be a few days older. I hope the integration goes as well.

The lone chick has been a hit with the family and has been dubbed “Cheepers” i feel bad for her. She spends a lot of time in front of the mirror but otherwise seems healthy

 

[Finnie]

That’s good to know. The chicks I am trying to get will be a few days older. I hope the integration goes as well.

The lone chick has been a hit with the family and has been dubbed “Cheepers” i feel bad for her. She spends a lot of time in front of the mirror but otherwise seems healthy

So did it work out for your family member to bring chicks on thanksgiving?

 

[drangle]

it did, I got 3 brown leghorns and 3 blue copper marans. they were a little bigger than my chick. maybe 4 days or so but they are all doing well together.

 

[ellen60]

It’s a pretty rural area I doubt Craigslist will be of much help but I’ll check. Going to ask the people in town that have chickens if they maybe have a broody that has been setting or have chicks but it’s winter so I doubt it. I plan to put her in the run with the other chicks as soon as I can but it’s cold now.

Temps swing up and down but it has been 14 degrees at night lately. 25 35 degrees during the day.

Hi, I have the same problem with a single hatched chick. Too cold to place her brooder out in the coop near the older chicks that are no longer using heat, so she is all alone in the house.
She is 1 month old now, has learned that when I am in the room she chirps loud for attention. I am the one that cares for her. My elderly mom holds the chick in her lap when I do a thorough cleaning of her brooder box.
It is between 28 and 36 degrees F day and below 25 night and expected to be a very cold Michigan winter so I expect her to be in the house, corner of living room, until February, when she will hopefully have enough feathers and down to be able to go out into the big coop in her own cage with a heat lamp. It will be heartbreaking to watch her go out there after so much time. My dogs are not happy with a house chicken

 

[Finnie]

it did, I got 3 brown leghorns and 3 blue copper marans. they were a little bigger than my chick. maybe 4 days or so but they are all doing well together.

Nice breeds!

 

[drangle]

I am happy with the breeds I was able to pick up too. I really only needed like 2 chicks but I was afraid they would get cold on the ride home. Now I have a case of the chicken maths.

I’ll probably have to let some of my older buff orps or black Australorps go this spring. I guess it will be a good way to see how much of a market there is for POL pullets.

 

[drangle]

I am a little worried about trying to integrate them into the coop with the older chicks too because of the low temps. 7 chicks are going to start to be to messy and smelly to keep in the house though.

They will have to get tough pretty soon.

 

[Finnie]

I am a little worried about trying to integrate them into the coop with the older chicks too because of the low temps. 7 chicks are going to start to be to messy and smelly to keep in the house though.

They will have to get tough pretty soon.

Are you brooding with a heat lamp or a mama hen/brooder plate type of setup?

With a heat lamp, it can be next to impossible to brood outdoors in cold weather because the heat lamp relies on warming up a large area. But with a mama heating pad, the chicks live in ambient temperatures and just go underneath when they want to warm up. Granted, if it’s super cold, they will spend more time under the heat plate than out and about eating and drinking. But I have found that in the winter I can brood indoors for the first week or two and then move them outdoors with a heat plate or mama heating pad setup with no problem.

By outdoors, I mean in a shed. I do have to check their water drinker a few times a day during sub freezing temperatures. (I use vertical or horizontal drinkers in all brooders and not open waterers.)

I don’t feel comfortable using a heat lamp in the shed. But for those who can do so safely, a heat lamp can be put over the water to keep it melted. Between that and the MHP, the chicks should be A-ok. (As long as you don’t lose power.)

I forgot to add: If you can brood them outside, they will be ready for integration with the hens as soon as they are fully feathered. I think my current group integrating is 6 weeks old.