2 broodies and our chicks just arrived... HELP! quick questions!

[Jster]

So...should we separate the broodies and give them chicks? Right now they are sharing a nestbox and have been for 2-3 weeks, and when one gets up the other covers her eggs until she gets back. I think they've bonded a lot, but I'm nervous about leaving them together. They are both in a coop that's about 8x8 and today DH put a dogcrate in there, so we could move one on the dog crate and give her some chicks, and keep the other one in the nest box, or keep them both in the nest box...it's just hard to decide! Please offer suggestions asap...we'll be moving them in an hour or so.

 

[suebee]

Not understanding your question. Are you saying you have 2 broodies under eggs? How many eggs?

If you plan on putting new chicks under one of them, yes separate them...at night! Place the chicks under at night!

Leave the other broody in the original nest with the eggs. When are they due to hatch??

 

[PunkinPeep]

I'm a little unclear on your situation. But keep in mind that when a mama has chicks, she's not going to stay in the nest anyway. After a little while, she's going to take those babies out of the nest - probably the first or second day. So a mama with chicks, sharing a nest with a mama on eggs, is never going to happen.

I wasn't clear on whether they are sitting on fertile eggs. Or maybe you have them sitting on eggs, and the chicks are for both of them.

If you're putting chicks under both of them, and the eggs are duds, then they will probably co-parent. All chickens are different, but i'm going by what you've described of their relationship. I had a couple of broodies that hatched together and co-parented so completely that i couldn't tell who belonged to whom by the third day.

Whichever your situation, i hope you have great success. Let us know how it goes!