Just one egg under a Broody Hen?

[FluffyandGinger]

Hi All,

It's just turned Spring in Australia and my Australorp has gone broody again!

I would love another hen to join my two in their backyard bliss, is it possible to put just one egg under her to hatch? Keep her hatching tendencies happy and add another to the mini flock?

Thanks, Chicken Rookie

 

[Judy]

It will work, if the chick hatches -- but then you will have a lone chick, which is never a good thing. They do so much better if they have some companions.

 

[FluffyandGinger]

Thanks Judy ! I went to the nursery and now have 6 eggs under my Bella … we're all excitedly awaiting the arrival of some little fluffy ones

 

[krista74]

Yay!

I have one lone chick here at the moment. He/she was the only live hatch from 11 eggs after a nasty egg-explosion incident. Anyway, he is a beautiful little thing but I feel for him because he doesn't have a friend to play with. As luck would have it, another hen has gone broody and is now on Day 4 sitting on 10 eggs. If just one hatches I will be stoked - a friend for little Peepers!

I'm in Australia too - in Victoria. When Peepers Momma went broody we were on the second day of spring, and we are still getting frosts on the ground here in the mornings now. Momma keeps Peepers warm though, so nothing to worry about there

Any time he gets cold he just dives into her feathers and snuggles with her.

Good luck with your girl. here's hoping you will have a good hatch!

- Krista

 

[FluffyandGinger]

That is so cute Krista! Thanks for your reply, a little friend for the chick sounds good.

I was a bit annoyed over the broodiness at first, as she had gone broody in autumn, molted and was off the lay for months and months straight after that, and three weeks back in egg production and she's broody again! But now I'm really delighted to see her being a mama, and hope that a few hatch. I'll only be able to keep one or two because we only have a small coop but we are all excited to experience this, nature at its best!

 

[krista74]

It is exciting isn't it? It's darn stressful too, ha ha!

I was wondering, what sort of eggs did you put under her? And where did you get them from? If my hatch goes badly (again) I would consider buying in some eggs for my Broody. I would hate it if she sat for 21 days and didn't get a chick in return for all her hard work.

Are you going to candle your eggs at all? I used to not like the idea BUT after last time.....I will be candling at day 8 and again at Day 17.

I have 6 hens, one of which is not laying because she is broody and one is not laying because she just hatched Peepers. So, probably no eggs from either of them for the next 3 months or so.

The 4 remaining hens are sporadic layers - we are having some soft shelled egg issues here at the moment, and my 2 orpingtons lay quite small eggs which are not suitable to hatch at all, despite being fertile.

My 4 RIR's lay great eggs, but like I said two are out of action at the moment. Pity, because hubby and I love our eggs!

- Krista

 

[FluffyandGinger]

I got our fertilised eggs from a nursery near by that sell also sell chickens, ducks, bunnies, coops etc.

3 eggs were from a pen full of Isa Browns, Leghorns and Australorps but with only one rooster to 30 hens so they weren't 100% sure that they would be fertilised, the other 3 eggs were from a small pen with barred rock hens (I think) but they will def be fertilised. I think I will candle them, something else I'll need to search on here for as I'm so new to all of this, I'm too curious not to.... If I can get near the eggs that is

We've had baby chicks inside before but this is really something else. I just feel sorry for my other hen who is wandering around all lonely at the moment....just 20 more days to go

 

[#ihonestlylovechickens]

I have that same problem too. I would just like one new addition to the flock and currently, my broody hen is only sitting on one egg. I am not sure if it is a female or male but I really hope that it becomes a female. I'm hoping the chick does well. Please give me some tips on how to keep a broody hen well.