Broody Chicken - adding eggs

[amanda223]

Hello!

I have a chicken who recently went broody. I decided to give her two eggs and see what happened (we don't have roosters so I got them from a friend). It's day 7 and only one appears to be developing. Is it too late to add more eggs? I'm guessing it would be but thought I would check. Thank you!

 

[junebuggena]

Yes, it's too late to add more eggs. Hens only sit till eggs hatch. Once there are chicks that need to be taken to food and water, she leaves the nest to tend to the chicks and abandons the nest leaving any partially developed eggs to die.

 

[chuckachucka]

It's too late to give her more eggs but the solo chick should be fine with its mother, it wont get lonely like one chick raised alone in a brooder would. If you really want more chicks you could source some day olds and give them to the broody when the other one hatches and she should accept them.

 

[amanda223]

Great! Thank you! My initial thought was loneliness but I guess it makes sense it won't be lonely when it's with its mother. New at this broody thing. Thank you for your help!

 

[chuckachucka]

No problem. I had a solo silkie chick from some ebay eggs this year and she did just fine with her adopted mother. It might have been a little harder on her when the hen stopped mothering her but she soon found her place with my other bantams.