2 hens sitting on same batch of eggs

[plester01]

I have two sister hens sitting on the same bunch of eggs. Is this normal? What will happen when chicks hatch? Who will be mom? Should I do anything or leave them alone. Any advice would be great.

 

[gumpsgirl]

It sounds like you need to get some more eggs for the other hen to sit on! You know how sisters can be?!?! They always want what the other one has.

 

[yellowdragon]

This has been happening to me all summer. Good luck. I could not move them to a cage, they would not set eggs in a new cage. they hatch there eggs and move their babies to a new location. It may be different to you, this is out of my experience

 

[plester01]

Update: First chick hatched today and I just happened to be out checking on them when it hatched. Sisters were fighting over new chick and eggs. SO I plunged in and moved one of the girls to a new nest and stole about 6 to 8 eggs out from under the other girl and put them in the new nest with the hen. She looked a bit upset but decided to give up and sit on the eggs that I gave her. She can still here the new chicks squeeks and seems a bit confused. I hope the eggs I gave here will hatch soon so she will calm down a bit. I hope I did the right thing but I though they would hurt the babies if they kept fighting over them.

 

[JennsPeeps]

I swear, everything chickens do is about one thing: "mine? mine? mine? mine?"

 

[robinaggie]

Just don't split the baby down the middle to give each hen half!!!

I think you did the right thing, but you should watch them to make sure they stay with their eggs.

Congratulations, by the way.

 

[plester01]

They are in the same run with 3 other hens and 3 roosters. I have decided this time to let the moms raise the chciks themselves but due to space availability they will all have to live together. Will the other chickens bother the chicks or will the moms do their jobs and protect them from the others. I hope all turns out well. If not next batch I will raise myself like I did the last.

 

[plester01]

this morning 12 chicks 2 moms. They are getting along fine but one of the adult hens (silver seabright) stole a chick and ran around with it. I recovered it and put back with moms. Removed the seabright. But what about the other adult hens and roosters. Do I need to keep them separate? They are blocked off right now in the run but due to the design of my DH I can only reach my hand in through hole to put a waterer in and there is not a perch in the run. What should I do?

 

[ginasmarans]

I've had hens raise their chicks among the others and all was fine. First,make sure they have a place they can get to away from the others and somewhere you can feed them where the others can't get to. In my experience,chickens always want what the others have. I took a length of wire that was big enough for the chicks to get through,but not adult chicks, made it into a circle and put it in a corner of the house. You can put food and water in the ring and the chicks can go in there to eat. You may have to put mom in there a few times so she can show them the food and water,but after awhile,they will learn where it is. Just drop her some food right outside the ring and make sure she has a source of water that won't drown the chicks.You also may want to raise your other waterers up,so they can't climb in and drown.

 

[plester01]

right now they are separate. This evening my DH is going to do something similar to what you described. But wont the other adults try to jump over the fenced off area? Oh, now instead of 12 chicks there are 14. There were a total of 19 eggs in all. Some are still yet to hatch. I might have killed one on accident because when I moved everyone out of the nest onto the floor, I accidentaly droped one of the eggs and a very small blood spot came out of the egg. I put it back under moms just incase it will survive. The babies are a combination of Silkies, Milie Fluer and Seabrights. I am curious to see what they grow up to look like. So far from what I can see they all have feathered feet.