What did you do with your flock today?

[Shetland lover]

So, now I have a bigger problem. My Cochin died last night. Now I only have 1 lonely chick. Will this chick be ok until these others hatch, which will be in about 16 days…or should I try to find this little one a friend? I REALLY don’t want to get one from my farm store but I’m feeling like that is the only way.

Oh no! I'm so sorry You're certainly having a rough time of it! What happened?

I've raised a lone chick, Matilda. If you can devote a lot of time to the chick I think it's doable. Matilda - the silver laced wynadotte girl who ended up being a Swedish Flower BOY! - was a 2wk old rescue. I had no other chicks and none planned. I set up a brooder for him with a small cuddly toy, a mirror and an old-fashioned feather duster for him to shelter under. I had a Nepalese yak wool hat which I could hang around my neck. Matilda spent almost all his time snuggled in the hat, like a baby in a propose while I went about my daily tasks. He even sat at my desk while I worked. He saw the other chickens when I was feeding them and a couple of times a day while I sat with them. I didn't let him actually mix with them until he was about 6 weeks. He was supervised until I knew he was o.k with everyone.
We had to re-home him through no fault of his own - same issue as Leo, he was smothering the bantams and we feared a fatality.
I still get updates on him and his new owner says he's the best cockerel she's ever had. He has 12 ladies to look after and does it beautifully. The chief thing is he gets on with ALL the chickens male or female he's been introduced to, she says.

So, yes, I think, while not ideal, it can be done if you're prepared to spend the time with him/her. You WILL become the chick's world so if you can't afford to spend every waking minute with it, get it a little friend.
16 days isn't forever for him/her to be without companions though.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

Oh no! I'm so sorry You're certainly having a rough time of it! What happened?

I've raised a lone chick, Matilda. If you can devote a lot of time to the chick I think it's doable. Matilda - the silver laced wynadotte girl who ended up being a Swedish Flower BOY! - was a 2wk old rescue. I had no other chicks and none planned. I set up a brooder for him with a small cuddly toy, a mirror and an old-fashioned feather duster for him to shelter under. I had a Nepalese yak wool hat which I could hang around my neck. Matilda spent almost all his time snuggled in the hat, like a baby in a propose while I went about my daily tasks. He even sat at my desk while I worked. He saw the other chickens when I was feeding them and a couple of times a day while I sat with them. I didn't let him actually mix with them until he was about 6 weeks. He was supervised until I knew he was o.k with everyone.
We had to re-home him through no fault of his own - same issue as Leo, he was smothering the bantams and we feared a fatality.
I still get updates on him and his new owner says he's the best cockerel she's ever had. He has 12 ladies to look after and does it beautifully. The chief thing is he gets on with ALL the chickens male or female he's been introduced to, she says.

So, yes, I think, while not ideal, it can be done if you're prepared to spend the time with him/her. You WILL become the chick's world so if you can't afford to spend every waking minute with it, get it a little friend.
16 days isn't forever for him/her to be without companions though.

Oh that is so cute!!! This little one was just too much this morning. I put my hand in the brooder and he came running out to me. So I tapped the ground to get it to eat and kinda did. Then took my hand to water and it followed me there too. Then back to some food and over to a different area of food. Oh it was so sweet. But I knew I couldn’t just take it everywhere and do that all day. I would love to! But the reality is, with 6 kids there is no way. So the little one has 5 new friends and just loves it.

I honestly have no idea what was wrong with the Cochin. I don’t have a clue. Was just laying under the heat plate this morning, gone…

 

[Shetland lover]

I ended up getting 5 chicks from her. One “barre rock”, one “buff Orpington” and 3 “Australorps”. I pit “” because I don’t and she doesn’t really know for sure. Her daughter picked them up and what she was told what they were is what they are supposed to be. We will see when they get bigger. She was supposed to have 5 Brahmas and I only seen 2 out of all of them.

But my little guy is happy and running around and having a good old time! I’m so happy cause I didn’t want to lose one to loneliness…

Babies! The cutest babies!!! I'm so pleased you have a happy ending.

 

[Shetland lover]

My two olive eggers look like they are molting. Does the crop lighten during this? It seems weird that both of them have paleness in the back of the crop.

When you said lighter, I thought you meant the crop itself was emptier than normal. All my girls eat a lot less during a moult and everything about their skin becomes pale so it could well be.

 

[TropicalBabies]

When you said lighter, I thought you meant the crop itself was emptier than normal. All my girls eat a lot less during a moult and everything about their skin becomes pale so it could well be.

X2! ♡

 

[Aliceismad106]

When you said lighter, I thought you meant the crop itself was emptier than normal. All my girls eat a lot less during a moult and everything about their skin becomes pale so it could well be.

Yeah it's normally really red and now it's red in the front and pinkish on the back. I've seen that if the crop I'd wilting or changing to be concerned but I wasn't sure because it's 2 of them.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

Babies! The cutest babies!!! I'm so pleased you have a happy ending.

Yeah…I’m hoping for no more deaths. At least until the next batch are due to hatch. And even then I’m hoping minimal. I did ask my friend what she ran her incubators at and she keeps hers around 50% during incubation and lockdown. I might try that and let the humidity go up as they hatch so maybe it doesn’t get too high.

 

[Shetland lover]

Oh that is so cute!!! This little one was just too much this morning. I put my hand in the brooder and he came running out to me. So I tapped the ground to get it to eat and kinda did. Then took my hand to water and it followed me there too. Then back to some food and over to a different area of food. Oh it was so sweet. But I knew I couldn’t just take it everywhere and do that all day. I would love to! But the reality is, with 6 kids there is no way. So the little one has 5 new friends and just loves it.

I honestly have no idea what was wrong with the Cochin. I don’t have a clue. Was just laying under the heat plate this morning, gone…

Chicks are so, so adorable. Especially when they interact with you like that and don't run screaming to the other side of the brooder. You will probably find it will always be friendlier than the rest.
It was lovely for me to be mother hen for once as I don't normally hatch. Having said that, Pru and I are a team. She allows me to take the chicks from day one and start to handle them with no stress or growling or pecking. DH is NOT allowed the same privilege. She comes in the house with them for breakfast and supper. With Stan, she even came and sat at my feet while I worked. Once they got a bit older, she'd bring them into the house and dump them on me while she had a break. She's a fantastic broody. Penelope kept kidnapping Stan until he was about 10wks and Pru wasn't having any of it. I do feel sorry for Penelope, she's desperate to be a mommy but we can't have any more chickens at present.

 

[Shetland lover]

Yeah it's normally really red and now it's red in the front and pinkish on the back. I've seen that if the crop I'd wilting or changing to be concerned but I wasn't sure because it's 2 of them.

Do you mean comb instead of crop?

 

[Shetland lover]

Yeah…I’m hoping for no more deaths. At least until the next batch are due to hatch. And even then I’m hoping minimal. I did ask my friend what she ran her incubators at and she keeps hers around 50% during incubation and lockdown. I might try that and let the humidity go up as they hatch so maybe it doesn’t get too high.

I'm praying you don't lose any either. I've only lost one and that was because Penelope murdered it.