Broody Hen Baby Died

[Abbkayx]

Hi all,

So my broody hen was on 8 eggs total, all of which were developing... I decided to take 5 and put them in the incubator. One of the eggs she was on hatched & then she seemed uninterested in sitting anymore on the others, so I took the other two and also placed them in the incubator.

Everything was all good, she was happy with her one chick - but this morning I found the little one dead on the coop floor. I assume one of my larger birds got to it. Now my broody mama is constantly searching for her baby and protecting nothing.

The other eggs have started hatching in the incubator, so my question is... should I try giving her one of the incubator babies, or will she be okay without a baby?
Thanks!


***** Edited to add: I only took the eggs to put in the incubator because she was on 9 eggs total (one was not fertile so I did not include in the original post), and she is a bantam and can not properly hatch all of them with her size. Aside from that she also has abandoned her extra eggs the last 3 times she’s gone broody, as soon as the first baby is born.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I would give them to her.

 

[Shadrach]

I can't quite see the point of taking eggs from a broody hen and putting them in an incubator.
Perhaps if you had left the broody to get on with it unmolested things might have gone better.

 

[Abbkayx]

I can't quite see the point of taking eggs from a broody hen and putting them in an incubator.
Perhaps if you had left the broody to get on with it unmolested things might have gone better.

Shes a bantam, and could only properly sit on about 4-5 of them... hence why I removed some. They all weren’t under her, and would have stopped developing.

To say that if I had left them there, it would have gone better is just silly. I would have lost 4+ babies that way, rather than one.

 

[Abbkayx]

Aside from that fact, this is her third time going broody and each time, as soon as she hatches a single baby she is done. She abandons the other eggs and I risk losing them that way as well. I guess my fault for removing them to try to save them?

 

[chickens really]

Definitely never try to hatch her Chicks amongst the flock again and if you want her to adopt Chicks introduce her in a separated pen or Brooder..

 

[Abbkayx]

Also should note I have 3 other broody mommas that each have 2 babies and none of them have had any issues with the flock.

 

[chickens really]

Also should note I have 3 other broody mommas that each have 2 babies and none of them have had any issues with the flock.

Well then continue on as you have been..
I definitely separate my Hens and hatch separated..

 

[Abbkayx]

Well then continue on as you have been..
I definitely separate my Hens and hatch separated..

My roo actually protects the babies lol. He’s such a good boy... but if I introduce new babies to her I’m definitely going to separate them out.

 

[chickens really]

My roo actually protects the babies lol. He’s such a good boy... but if I introduce new babies to her I’m definitely going to separate them out.

I definitely raise mine in the flock but at about 3 days old so the Chicks are up and Momma has them up and eating..My Roosters are always good dads..