2 broodies with chicks, same coop

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Watching these two raise their young together, has, by itself, made having chickens worth it.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Well it went exactly the opposite if what I thought, which was that the less dominant broody would abandon the chicks first.

As the chicks got bigger, one chick moved into the less dominant's nest at night. Then another. I guess the dominant broody said, "Screw it. I'm outta here". Now the less dominant broody is raising all 4 by herself.

I'm really gonna miss seeing those two broodies raise the chicks together.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hah, I guess you never can tell..

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Well broody mama weaned her babies tonight. For the past few nights she headed to the main roost, but then left it when she heard the babies cheeping for her. Tonight I saw her snipping and fussing at the baby she hatched, and now she's on the roost for good. The babies are doing fine. They're like 4 teenage girls having a slumber party with mom gone.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

That is my usual experience, with varying age frames for booting.

A few of my hens made sure every chick learned how to roost. They get bonus points as broody's from me if they follow through all the way until roost. Others are just done. 4 weeks seems to be the youngest, which made me very uncomfortable the first time since we are taught chicks have to be under a lamp for the first 6 weeks or so. But like you say, they were fine!

My Welsumer pullet just started laying. The color looks great.. but I won't judge for real until it becomes consistent in a month or so. I think the Welsumer ladies are beautiful with all their shades of pink and gold.

Little fun fact... did you know that Welsumer are a Dutch breed named after the town of Welsum? So while many spell it with 2 S's and that's OK, the proper spelling is with only 1 S. And it's said like a person from that town would be a Welsumer.

Glad your broody experience was exceptional!

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Glad your broody experience was exceptional!

It was exceptional. and now it's repeating! Another 2 broodies are sharing their 3 chicks, They are nesting in the same spot as the others did, but this time they are snuggled up together in the same nest. It is precious.

btw, I read that Welsummers are very similar to the Peruvian Jungle Fowl (below). What do you think? Maybe Welsummers were imported to Welsum from Peru.

 

[centrarchid]

Why do you suspect two hens sharing only four or three chicks?

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Why do you suspect two hens sharing only four or three chicks?

In both cases one hen hatched one chick, and the other hens hatched 2/3 at the same time.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

It was exceptional. and now it's repeating! Another 2 broodies are sharing their 3 chicks, They are nesting in the same spot as the others did, but this time they are snuggled up together in the same nest. It is precious.

btw, I read that Welsummers are very similar to the Peruvian Jungle Fowl (below). What do you think? Maybe Welsummers were imported to Welsum from Peru.

Wow that's so cool!
I have had ENOUGH with the broody's! My Marans girl is broody for her 3rd time, even after hatching and raising 1 set this year. She's been in the breaker more than a week and acts like she will be perfectly happy to brood in the wire bottom kennel. And my Silkies gotta be going on the 4th or 5th time after raising two sets of adopted chicks. And that's not counting the others that have been broken and raised chicks! Now I just hope somebody will be broody when I'm ready to start hatching in a month or so.

Anything is possible as far as the Peruvian jungle fowl. But the ear lobes are white and the leg color is dark, plus it isn't partridge colored. That kinda looks a little more like a Black Copper Marans to me.

Thanks for sharing your adventures!

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I had the same issue with one of these broodies that just hatched two. I don't have a cage, so I locked her out of the coop she was sitting in. She wouldn't give up. Check out where she decided to brood. I gave up and and opened the coop back up. Now she's a happy mommy.