Single Hatched Chick...Put with Momma & Siblings?

[Trisseh]

I’ve given 2 week old chicks to a broody that sat on nothing for a week. Some birds will take literally any chick you give them, others are more discerning and you may need to trick them. I don’t see why you can’t try the suggestions of adding it once it’s a little stronger, especially if she’s one of those birds that wants all the babies. Personally I would probably wait until this one is a week old and better able to keep up, but that totally depends on your broody. Same as any other time when adding new birds, you do have to watch and make sure things are going ok before leaving them to their own devices.

Mine will steal eggs from others and takes over any chicks I introduce, so she’s easy, but not all of them are like that.

 

[Dale River]

So I gave the chick that hatched from the incubator to the momma hen after he ran around a brooder for a day. I gave him to her at night, and she accepted him immediately and has been caring & attentive. Not only did she accept that chick, but a second late chick hatched from the incubator a few days later. We did the same with the second chick...kept it in the incubator for about 24 hours, then put it in a brooder for about a day, then put it under the momma hen at night. She took the second late hatching chick with no problems also. She's done a great job caring for the 2 younger late hatchers along with the other chicks she hatched & the store bought chicks I put under her earlier. Just thought I'd update this for anyone else in a similar situation. I think the broody hen is a good little momma.