Single Chick Ok?

[Leonard4]

I bought two fertilized eggs to place under my
broody hen, but only one hatched. The other one was either not fertilized or was not viable.

My question is, is having only one chick ok? The other two hens in the coop seem ok with it so far, and mama hen is being so good. I don’t know if I want to buy chicks to put under her and risk her or the others not taking to them.

 

[NatJ]

One chick with mamma is fine.

When the hen decides she is done being a mother, and leaves the chick to fend for itself, it will probably be lonely for a while (because there are no others its own age, and the adult hens don't want to hang out with a partly-grown chick.) That is when it is more helpful to have several chicks.

If you do want to buy other chicks, she is more likely to accept them if they look the same as the one she hatched (it looks like a solid gray color to me). Some hens will accept chicks of any color or pattern, but I have no way to know whether your hen is one of them or not.

 

[Leonard4]

One chick with mamma is fine.

When the hen decides she is done being a mother, and leaves the chick to fend for itself, it will probably be lonely for a while (because there are no others its own age, and the adult hens don't want to hang out with a partly-grown chick.) That is when it is more helpful to have several chicks.

If you do want to buy other chicks, she is more likely to accept them if they look the same as the one she hatched (it looks like a solid gray color to me). Some hens will accept chicks of any color or pattern, but I have no way to know whether your hen is one of them or not.

Thank you!! This is very helpful!

 

[Ridgerunner]

The other part of this is that the younger the chicks are the better. If you are going to try to give her more chicks it needs to happen now. Don't wait a few days.