2 broody hens sitting on the same eggs

[danielle24]

Right well I have a white silkie hen sitting on 6 fertile eggs and has been for 8 days , yesterday my other black silkie went broody and is sat right next to my white broody hen but not in a box, when my black one got up for a drink today I checked and she was sat on two eggs but they where eggs from the white hen that went broody 8 days ago as id marked her eggs so they didn't get muddled up. I then but them back ready for her to sit on but before she could even get back from having a drink the white hen got up and pulled them under her I couldn't believe it. Then when the black hen got back she ended up sitting on the white ones head lol now I can't get her to move I've put eggs in the other boxes to try and get the black one to sit in them and all she does is pull the eggs over to the white one box then sits on her head again. I do to know what to do I'm worried that she will suffocate her .

 

[danielle24]

 

[danielle24]

They are now sharing the box and the eggs is this normal

 

[Fancychooklady]

This is quite normal behaviour for silkies. Once one goes broody it starts a ' chain reaction '.
Once the chicks hatch there is often a little argument of who belongs to who but the Beaty of 2 mommas is if you have a staggered hatch one momma will take the chicks already hatched to food and water whilst the other will stay with the eggs still to hatch.

 

[danielle24]

Do you know why the black one won't just sit on her own eggs ? And she has to keep sitting on the white one head?

 

[Fancychooklady]

It looks pretty cramped in there. If you are concerned about it you could separate them and divide the eggs between them. You should also count and mark the eggs and take any fresh laid eggs out.
The problem with staggered hatches is once the first lot hatch momma will leave the remaining eggs to seek food and water for her new babies.

 

[danielle24]

I've treid doing that when I divide the eggs and put them in the other box the black one moves the eggs and put them back in the white one them sits on her head until she move for her to fit in. Just don't get why they all want to sit in that box and this morning when they both got up I found one of the eggs had crack and pierced right through to the air sac and a red ring had appeared so had to get rid of that one.

 

[Clucklandia]

They are now sharing the box and the eggs is this normal

I have a silkie and barred rock doing this!!

 

[8 Chicks 1967]

It must be pretty common I have 2 doing the same.

 

[Jbently28]

Whatever became of this situation? I have a Turkey (yes a Turkey lol) and a bantam Cochin doing the same right now with chicken eggs. I'm having the same problem with eggs getting crushed.