3 broodys on one clutch?

[Mjismom]

This is my first time having a rooster. We have six hens. One hen became broody and started laying on a clutch a couple weeks ago and now it seems like 2 more have become broody and they are all squeezing into the nesting box to sit on that same clutch. Is this normal?

Unfortunately, I started finding a few eggs on the ground and thought maybe the other hens were laying them on the ground since we only have 2 nesting boxes but nope - a couple of them had growing chicks. I don’t know if they were purposely kicked out or accidentally since the hens are trying to squeeze in there. I have now bought a candler and plan to check them. And maybe just put any I find on the ground back under them in case they survived?

Just wondering if there’s anything I’m missing. Thank you!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You should remove two hens, and break them from being broody for the best success. Often when multiple hens set they get confused and they can sometimes attack and kill hatching chicks because they are under the hen next to them. Also as you are seeing it can cause chaos in the nest and eggs get broken or eaten.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I would discard any eggs you find on the ground. You don't know how long they've been there, and they've probably gotten chilled and are no longer viable. Also if a hen kicks an egg out of the nest, often it's because she knows it's a dud.

Have you marked the eggs she started with so you don't get a staggered hatch? Once she has chicks she will take them off the nest to begin teaching them how to be chickens and will abandon any unhatched eggs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Thank you for that photo, that helps. The most likely reason those eggs are being kicked out is because you do not have a lip on the bottom of that nest. With the movement and scratching of the hens eggs are randomly being kicked out. They are not selecting which eggs get kicked out, it is purely random. There is nothing wrong with those eggs, nothing right about those eggs. It is accidental which ones get pushed out.

Even if those eggs are cold to the touch I'd put them back in the nest and give them a chance. Sometimes they make it, sometimes they don't. But give them a chance.

So what would I do in your situation? First, I'd figure out a way to add a lip across the bottom, maybe using those slots on the sides. I don't know how high that opening is on that nest. If they have six inches clear in height the broody hens can get in and out. I typically have 4" or 5" lips on mine but my nests are very different. A 2" lip would be better than what you have.

Multiple broody hens can often work together to hatch eggs and raise the chicks. It often works. And it is cute! So many people on this forum seem to live for cute. But cute does not always mean safe. As a former poster said, it does not always work. I've had hens fight over a nest when the chicks started pipping. Half of the eggs were destroyed. Since that happened I don't allow multiple broody hens in the same space, let alone on the same nest. I'd break two of those hens from being broody. If you don't know how just ask, we can help.

Sometimes other hens will continue to lay eggs in a broody hen's nest. Since those eggs start incubating later, you have what we call a staggered hatch. When the first chicks that hatch get hungry and thirsty the hen takes them off of the nest to find food and water and abandons the rest. That can be hard on a person, knowing those eggs are developing but are not going to hatch.

Or if the number of eggs continue to increase you may get so many that one hen cannot cover them all. If that happens some get pushed out to cool off and die, then get back under her and another is pushed out to die. You usually do not get good hatches if the number of eggs is more than can be covered.

I do not know how many eggs are in that nest. That may be contributing to some getting pushed out. I agree you should mark the eggs that are in that nest so you know in case other eggs are still being put in there. Then check under them after the others have finished laying for the day and remove any that don't belong. You may need to leave two or even all three hens in there to keep all of the eggs covered and take your chances that they will work together. They often do work together, it is just that sometimes they don't. You never know with living animals. But as a minimum, put a lip on that nest and I'd mark the ones in there now.

Good luck! Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Mjismom]

Thank you so so much for all your help! I have put the perch up on the nesting box that I think might work as a lip to help keep eggs in.

I read that water and ice are not good to use and to put them in broody jail instead. So I put two of the broodies in the run part of our old coop on concrete.

And tonight after dark I will move the nest into a bucket with a lip on the ground since the box is so high. I just bought a candler so I may candle them when I do that. I will mark them too.

I think we have about 6 days until hatch. I counted 13 eggs a week ago and we’re down to 11 probably due to the ones that fell out.

I considered moving the nest into the old coop but I read that might make it harder to introduce the chicks to the flock later.

Thank you so much! Please let me know if I’m doing anything wrong.

 

[MROO]

Don't let them share. I learned that the hard way and lost most of the egglets and a handful of chicks.
If you don't want to break the broodiness, split the eggs and allow each hen their own space and mini clutch. Ideally, a broody nest should be completely separated (see-no-touch) to keep other hens from making new deposits. If you can't separate them, be sure to mark each clutch so you know which eggs to remove every day.

 

[Ridgerunner]

And tonight after dark I will move the nest into a bucket with a lip on the ground since the box is so high.

Many people on this forum are concerned if the nest is off the ground at all. I saw a broody hen get her chicks out of a 10 feet high hay loft. She flew to the ground, told her chicks to jump, and they did. They bounced up and ran to her. My broodies regularly hatch in nests 2 feet and 4 feet off of the coop floor. They never have problems getting their chicks safely down when it is time to leave the nest.

The chicks cannot get back up there so the broody just squats down on the coop floor at night. It is not a big deal, broodies have been doing this on pure instinct without the help or humans for thousands of years.

Do as you will but I'd leave her be. Trying to move her at this date runs the risk of her abandoning her eggs.

 

[Mjismom]

Thank you Ridgerunner! That’s very good to know! I won’t move her then!

Should I still candle them or just let them be? I have no idea if they are all viable or not.

 

[Yardmom]

I have a Silkie flock which has multiple broodies frequently. If two try setting together in the same nest, we place them together in a dog crate and then give them the eggs we want to hatch. We have tried it with 3 and even had successful hatched with 3, but have noticed chicks have a harder time knowing what to do and where to go with 3 mothers.

I try to avoid having multiple broodies together with my standard hens. They tend fight more over who gets to sit on the eggs ect.

 

[VeeKay]

This happened with my girls earlier this year I was collecting eggs, had started incubating and then they decide, one after another, to start their own giant nest in the middle of the coop. There was a new broody every week & I ended up with an extra clutch.