# Single chic/adopted



## Ranch (May 26, 2014)

I was called two weeks ago and asked to adopt my friends chic. Her daughters class hatched chicks for a project. She brought home two and cared for them for three days. One got out of the container they were in and died in the middle of the night. The little girl was devastated and cried for them to call me to keep her baby alive.
How could I possibly say no...... they didn't know what kind it was or anything about it. I thought the school would have educated somewhat, but that is not the case. I have her in a bathroom and try and socialize with her often. But, it is not enough. I know she needs interaction with other chickens. I plan to put her in the silkie coop I have. 
When I bring in a silkie it is horrid. I have done it one at a time and always ends in pecking screeching and stress to both hen and chic. It is too cold outside to put the chic out there in a pen for intergration and my house is too hot for the silkies to stay in for longer than twenty minutes at a time. I have one that just went broody yesterday, I am going to try her again today. 

Why would a class not hatch in spring? A winter hatch is normally not good unless you have the set up for it. I wonder how many chicks that went home with all those excited little kids, are actually going to survive until spring. 
Any suggestions would be appreciated. 
I think it is a Black Jersey Giant. I looked and looked until I found a chick that looks like the one I have. Hope I am right, it says they are docile.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Oh how I hate having a single chick. I think it stresses me as much as it does the single chick. 

Scary thought here because of the cold but have you tried taking the chick out to the Silkies to see if any show interest in the chick? My old rooster, King, used to take chicks and raise them for me. If the adults are not stressed you might get a better read on who might like to adopt the chick. The broody, if its a Silkie, probably has not been broody long enough to accept the chick. 

Any chance of setting up a brooder in the Silkie coop? 

Obviously no thought was put in to the time of year they chose to hatch. That might be something the parents need to address.


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## nj2wv (Aug 27, 2013)

I have had a lone chick. I found a mirror and put it in the brooder and you can also put in a little feather duster or a little stuffed animal to snuggle and think it is another chick. It worked until it was big enough to go out. I also kept the brooder in the living room with us so it socialized with us also. It is kind of funny to see the chick trying to talk and play with the chick in the mirror.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

You would think that they would have planned a home for the babies beyond letting the kids take home the chicks. Not many I can imagine would be set up to care for them. How irresponsible and good on you for taking it. 
If definitely try sticking it under a silkie and see what happens. Short of that, the mirror.

Jersey Giants looks very similar to lots of breeds as babies. Australorps are virtually indistinguishable most of the time until the birds are half grown. You'll have to post pics as it grows so we can all have a guessing game!


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## Ranch (May 26, 2014)

When I got it two weeks ago, It was warmer here and so I would try and go in the silkie run with the baby chick and see who would come over and check us out. Bob the polish rooster was the most interested in it. But, with bobs history and how tiny it was, I was scared to attempt personal contact. Yesturday we finished the siklie side of my inside coop. They slept in there last night for the first time. I put their original coop in the building inside their enclosure. I figured they would stay warmer and feel more comfortable in there with it. I was going to try and put a crate in the enclosure with the chick in it to attempt to let everyone see her and get to know her with out the contact, since that doesn't go so well. But, the temps here are way to cold. I am afraid that there is no way to keep the chick warm enough. How would I set up to keep her warm and safe out in the coop? 
I will put a mirror in there with her and see if that helps some. She does have a fluffy bear that she jumps around on but she is not taking to it other than standing on its head and flying off.

We had her in a kennel in the living room for the first week but this chick is a talker, I mean all day, all night, even in her sleep. We had to move her because it was very distracting. I was carrying her in my hoody pocket but now she only wants to be in my hair on my shoulder. Anywhere else is unacceptable. My hb thinks its funny. being pooed on all the time is not funny though. She is cute and sweet though. 
She is smaller than the ones I normally raise at this age. I allow her the run around different rooms of the house while someone is in there to watch and talk with her. But, I can't do it 24/ hours a day. Which is what I know she needs.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

Can you put a heat lamp over the crate in the coop for her?


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## Ranch (May 26, 2014)

I can run extention cord to the coop and put a heat lamp out there. Should I put the heat lamp in the hallway pointing to the inside of the coop where I put the crate? I am afraid to put the lamp inside the enclosure where the chickens are. They may get curious and hurt themselves. I use bell lamps for the lizard and turtle. Red light bulbs. Is this good? I did use a regular light bulbs when I had chicks inside a year or so ago. How close should the light be to give the amount of heat needed? Sorry so many questions, just trying to get an idea before I head out and give it a go in these temps.


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## nj2wv (Aug 27, 2013)

I can't help with that one. I don't heat or light my coop. I use a regular desk lamp and 60 watt bulb in my home made brooder. I don't put them out until they are fully feathered and about 5 or 6 inches big. I then have a mini cage in the coop that I put the new ones in for a week so they know their new home and bigger birds. After a week I let them out with the big birds and they free range all day.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Its hard to know the exact right answer since we can't see the inside of your coop. My coop was divided in to individual pens. If I had chicks out there, I hung the lamp with the same 60 watt red bulb about ten inches above the shavings. But those peeps also had a hen to get under if the light went out during the night if they weren't already under her.


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