2 Hens, 1 Clutch

[KrysMT]

Hey y’all!

I’m curious if anyone else has ever had this happen.

I have a hen (1) who had been sitting on eggs for weeks and they were due to start hatching anytime.
I also had another hen (2) trying to go broody. I wasn’t going to let her sit because it’s starting to get cooler…

I checked in on the hen (1) who had been sitting only to find the other hen (2) sitting on her clutch! Hen (1) was there sitting beside hen (2).

Two days ago both hens were in the same spot with chicks hatching…yesterday both hens were mothering the chicks in the coop! They both seem to think they are in charge and seem to be working together.

This has never happened before with my girls. Has anyone else heard of this?!

 

[sourland]

It happens. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it does not. The end result depends on the temperament of the hens involved.

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

Hey y’all!

I’m curious if anyone else has ever had this happen.

I have a hen (1) who had been sitting on eggs for weeks and they were due to start hatching anytime.
I also had another hen (2) trying to go broody. I wasn’t going to let her sit because it’s starting to get cooler…

I checked in on the hen (1) who had been sitting only to find the other hen (2) sitting on her clutch! Hen (1) was there sitting beside hen (2).

Two days ago both hens were in the same spot with chicks hatching…yesterday both hens were mothering the chicks in the coop! They both seem to think they are in charge and seem to be working together.

This has never happened before with my girls. Has anyone else heard of this?!

this happened to me recently. the nest wasn't secure, and the hens were first time brooders, but they managed to hatch a single chick. we moved the chick to a brooder after a few days, because this was around the time I lost 14 birds to a raccoon, but while they had their chick they seemed to get along and parent it together, with one bird showing it the food and the other guarding the chick and looking out for threats.

 

[Perris]

this happened for the first time here in August, both broodies being young and inexperienced, and I wasn't sure how it would work. But it's worked out brilliantly - better than with a single broody in fact - and while they have the occasional spat, it is definitely better for the chicks to have 2 mums about, and less stressful for the mums too when chicks go off in different directions (some go up the ramp, some are still at the bottom, for example).

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

this happened for the first time here in August, both broodies being young and inexperienced, and I wasn't sure how it would work. But it's worked out brilliantly - better than with a single broody in fact - and while they have the occasional spat, it is definitely better for the chicks to have 2 mums about, and less stressful for the mums too when chicks go off in different directions (some go up the ramp, some are still at the bottom, for example).
View attachment 3947243

whoa, are those CCL? they're beautiful.

 

[Perris]

whoa, are those CCL? they're beautiful.

thank you; they're not CCL, they're all hybrids: the broodies have partridge plumage, the uncle is mostly Penedesenca (also partridge plumage), and the black looking chick is actually a dark partridge.