This is my first chick, a couple of questions

Hennypenny2008

Hatching
11 Years
Mar 22, 2008
4
0
7
Oregon
We got an Buff Orpington chick today. We put down pine shavings and paper towels. She has a heat lamp, water dish and feeder dish with the right food. She seems to sleep alot. She has been drinking water but then she goes back to sleep. Everytime I check on her she wakes up but then goes back to rest. Is this normal? I have never done this before so I am really a newbie. Appreciate any info.
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I have updated my posting because I am using pine shavings. And the reason we only got one chick is the fact that we have a full grown seabright bantam that just showed up in the yard 3 years ago and we now decided to get her a friend. We are not allowed to have chickens where we live so we are doing all of this on the qt.
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Henny, I can't answer most of your questions since I'm new to this myself. I did want to tell you that you don't want your chick on cedar shavings. It will cause respiratory problems. You want pine shavings instead.
Welcome to BYC!
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Your set up sounds good except two things.

1) Cedar shavings are toxic to chicks because the phenols damage the lining in their respiratory system which can lead to susceptibility to illness. Get the shavings out ASAP and put in pine instead

2) Just one? It is normal for the chick to be sleepy, but if you just have one, it may be lacking the stimulation it would otherwise get with another chick to thrive. Time to get her a friend! They are social animals and need the companionship day and night.

Best of luck!
 
Buy a buddy! The loud, lonely sounding chirps will go away and it would sound like happy chirping. If the chick is quiet, that would be unusual, as is sleeping a lot. Unless the chick is depressed from being alone?

Chickens are very social. A solitary chicken is a lonely chicken.
 
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