hints on raising a single baby chick who seems lonely?

[beverly33]

Long story but I have a 3 wk old single baby chick. I have it in the house in a cage with a heatlamp and it seems very lonely. we have lots of chickens outside including 2 silkie hens that have 6 chicks that are 7 wks old that they hatched and raised (together). Do you think the silkies would accept this chick too at this point? what can we do to keep this chick happy while it is by itself? How do we go about introducing it to the rest of the flock?
Our chickens are several generations of mixed phoenix, silkie, barred rock, and orpington, if that makes a difference. thanks in advance for any advice!
Right now I am holding the baby chick and it likes to be under my hair. It is so loud when it is in the cage alone and frantically running back and forth! It had a sibling that died last night so now it is all by itself. Poor thing!

 

[beverly33]

I just read the other thread about the same problem and got some great advice thanks! for tonight I'll try the mirror, he already has the stuffed animals. Just the excuse I need to buy some more baby chicks to keep him company!

 

[catwalk]

I'd try putting him in with the Silkies. I've had great luck mixing ages of little chicks. The only problem I've had so far is different sizes: the big'uns don't know their own heft when they pile up to go to sleep. Good luck!

 

[Wifezilla]

Feather duster

and a mirror

Use these until it can be put with other chickens

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'd try to put it in with the silkie and babies. I don't have a silkie, but from what I understand, they will mother almost ANYTHING. Keep a really close eye though just in case.

If that doesn't work, go get more babies for the little one to have company. Um, honey, I HAD to go get more chicks, this one was lonely. It wasn't me, really.

 

[evonne]

you could do what i have to do now with my 1 week olds... yes "s" 6 of them... and i take the cage whereever i go and plug it in in that room... other wise my head echos with the noise... lol....

if there's no other animals in the house, let him loose?? buy a diaper and let him follow you around?? i would LOVE to be able to do that, but i have 2 dogs that i don't trust around the babies.. i've triaend them off the big birds finally.. they don't bother them.. but week old chicks look a lot like tennis balls... rofl...

 

[gritsar]

OT - Wifezilla, I knew about your feather duster duck and thought that was adorable, but nothing is more adorable than the pic of him with that mirror!

 

[Wifezilla]

That was JJ. Turned out to be a she but we lost her to some kind of resp. infection when she was a couple of months old. She was alone as a duckling for about a week. With that feather duster in there and the mirror, she never freaked out when she couldn't see me. She would chatter away to that mirror all the time! Then we got her a little rouen buddy and he would sit with her and they would both "talk" to the other ducks

 

[Reubenazona]

I have a similar problem, a co-worker gave me a week-old chick, but my chickens are grown or 6 weeks. We gave her 2 little plush toys to snuggle. A cloth-wrapped juice jar full of hot water, and a little mirror. She roosts on the jar. Also, she can hear the other chickens, and in a few days, I'll put her cage in the yard so they can get to know each other.. Its warm here. what about recorded chicken noises . . . . anyway, good luck