I want to make sure I am doing this right. a single chick, her egg mates are not due to hatch till tomorrow (she was taken from a broody, so was about 2 days ahead of the other eggs) She is in the brooder with her food, water, mirror and a little stuffy, and a folded facecloth (cause I am not sure about the stuffy.) We visit with her all the time, but we want her to be happy... The hen is sitting on 11 eggs not due to hatch for another 10 days or less. Anything else we should be doing?
I think you are doing all you can for her. If her egg mates are due to hatch tomorrow, she will be fine! You could get some cuddly chick toy things, I suppose...
It looks like I may have a lone chick too... I have two week old chicks, but it is going to be a while before it can run with the big guys, lol. I'm going to be watching replies... I'm curious what I need to do for my lone chick as well!
I collected eggs during the last clutch and she was part of that, the hens made another and their eggs are not due till next week sometime, so I won't be returning her to the mother...there are 3 other eggs I grabbed with her that still haven't hatched...only on Day 20 here...She came on Day 19 of incubation, but again she was under the hen for two days before I collected her. My daughter found a small stuff toy dog that has the same feathering as a silky, and we put in in the brooder and the chick crawled under the ear...so cute. She is happy now and comes running onto you hand when you put it in...
I had four keets in a brooder for a couple of days (was able to put them under a mom then) and used an idea I saw on BYC. I took a new feather duster and put it in the brooder, safely away from the heat source but it isn't cold now anyway. The keets took right to it and snuggled inside the feathers. I felt bad, though, as when I put them in the box with the hen one of them looked at me as to say "Mom.... where are you going?"
