Only chick hatched last Thursday, Mar. 18th

[Bookworm chick]

I'd only put two eggs under this bantam broody, just because she so badly wanted to be a mother and because I just didn't want to be overrun with a larger number of new chickies.
This chick hatched right on Day 21. I decided to wait until at least Sunday (Day 24) and give this second egg a chance since the mama was still trying. Sunday we removed it and opened it up. There was just the usual yolk so I'm guessing this one wasn't fertilized?
Has anyone else had a hen raise a single chick? If so, any particular problems I might encounter? She so far is a good mother. Very protective of this only chick. It is thriving so far.

My luck, one of her sisters is also broody. I just don't have the room for confining another broody separate from the others.
Will she eventually give up? I don't have room to confine her to a bedding-free space either in the hopes of breaking up her broodiness.
She's been broody about 2 weeks now. I take her off the nest a couple of times a day and she complains but goes outside to peck and scratch with the rest of the flock, takes a dust bath, comes back in and eats from the feeder, drinks, etc. but usually returns to her nest after about 20 minutes or so.

This is the chick hatched Mar 18th with her mother, a BR cross.

 

[madornato]

Hi. I think that once the chick has hatched you can move momma and chick back to the hen house/coop. I don't know the answer to your question about the momma taking care of just one chick--I think it should be ok. I personally would move those 2 back to the coop and give her sister a shot at trying to hatch a few eggs, but wait to see what more experienced BYCers say. I've not had a chicken to go broody yet--I'd love for one of them to, but I've only had my chickens since September. Some of them are older, though, but no broodiness yet. Good luck.

 

[Bookworm chick]

They are in the coop. My husband made a little "coop within the coop" sort of a maternity wing. lol
The box you see them in, in the photo is the nest box he made just for the purpose of hatching the eggs. This is partitioned off at the back of the coop so they have a small "run" to stretch their legs. We used it last August when one of the others hatched 7 chicks. The rest of the flock can see the mother and chick but can't get to them.
It was so funny the first time the mama brought the chick out of the nest. The rooster got all excited and was calling the others to come quick and look. Of course, he probably thought it was something to eat and was calling them for that.

 

[pdsavage]

You could allways run and get 1 chick at the feed store and put it under the other broody at night see if that works.then you would only have to keep her isolated for a short time.