2 broody hens, 2 different hatch dates, same place?

[Pufna]

I have a broody hen which is hatching her eggs today, and the other which went broody yesterday.
I plan to move the one that just went broody to the same place with the one that's hatching today, but I'm not sure if that's good.
I also plan to separate them with some sort of fabric so they can't see each other or go to one another. But I'm afraid that the one that now has to stay on the eggs will hear the chicks from the other broody and leave her nest.
Do some of yall have experiences like this? What are your thoughts?

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

How about you have the first one brood somewhere else for a day or two while other mama is hatching?? Then she'll be up and about with them, but if you put the fabric to separate them, 2nd broody won't know what's going on. But I do know lots of hens that will just all go broody at once and pick their separate spots, they don't get confused about others chicks. I would maybe put one broody in a leave cardboard box and that'll help separate them for a time.

 

[Mrs. K]

When I have a broody hen, she moves to a new clean nest on the floor with her chicks in a day or two. So the bird that just went broody, I would not worry about. It is good advice to wait two or three days to make sure she is completely broody, before you give her eggs. By that time, the other will have moved somewhere else. Unless you have them locked up.

If you have her locked up, I would let her back into the flock sooner than later. Too many people wait, until the chicks are bigger, but that is when the broody hormones are dampening, and the hen is a stranger to the flock. Letting her back into the flock when the broody hormones are still high, works best for her and the chicks, they are just naturally part of the flock.

 

[sourland]

The presence of a hen with newly hatched chicks can cause another broody to break.

 

[K0k0shka]

The presence of a hen with newly hatched chicks can cause another broody to break.

This is very good to know! I'm in a similar position and just found this thread, and I'm glad I found your answer. My two batches would be 1 week apart, and the second batch is the one I actually care about. I don't want that broody to break, so I might give up on batch 1 just to be safe.

 

[Schwartzlinda]

I have a question about 2 broody hens. I have 1 broody that has been sitting for 2 weeks with her clutch and another that went broody today. I have 2 nesting in one large maturity ward. Can I put the newly broody on 3 of the 7 eggs so they all hatch at the same time. Is 1 week enough time for new broody?

 

[K0k0shka]

I have a question about 2 broody hens. I have 1 broody that has been sitting for 2 weeks with her clutch and another that went broody today. I have 2 nesting in one large maturity ward. Can I put the newly broody on 3 of the 7 eggs so they all hatch at the same time. Is 1 week enough time for new broody?

It’s possible, though there are no guarantees. Last year I put a broody on eggs that had been in the incubator and only had 1 week left. She had been broody for maybe 4-5 days before that, on and off. It was an experiment. She sat on them diligently for a week, hatched and raised them and was a great mom! So it could work. And if she gives up, you can just put the eggs under the first broody.

 

[Schwartzlinda]

T

It’s possible, though there are no guarantees. Last year I put a broody on eggs that had been in the incubator and only had 1 week left. She had been broody for maybe 4-5 days before that, on and off. It was an experiment. She sat on them diligently for a week, hatched and raised them and was a great mom! So it could work. And if she gives up, you can just put the eggs under the first broody.

Thank you I’m hopeful the 2 broody’s get along in the same maturity ward with the babies!

 

[Mrs. K]

I did it with a bird that had been broody a week, and gave her a live chick, - raised it up fine.

 

[Schwartzlinda]

Did you all have 2 broody hens together with babies? They both have same hatch date.