3 hens broody at the same time

[Momma*chicken]

We have 3 hens who all decided to go broody at the same time. We want to build them a small separate coop away from the rest of the flock so the other hens don't keep laying eggs on top of them and mixing new eggs with eggs that have already been brooded for a few days. So my question is can I put all 3 girls together in a coop? Will they know which eggs are theirs? Will they bother each other? Anytime a hen went broody in the past it was one at a time and we put them in this very small coop away from the others. We can't use that one this time because it's 2 small for 3 mommas and is currently being used by a broody hen with 1 month old chicks. Any help much appreciated!

 

[chrissynemetz]

I've never had good luck allowing multiple hens to brood together. They always end up either fighting over the eggs, or the chicks, or both. Could you allow one hen to brood eggs and break the other two?

 

[NatJ]

So my question is can I put all 3 girls together in a coop?

Maybe

Will they know which eggs are theirs?

Not really. They might each stay on one nest, but they might not.

Will they bother each other?

Maybe. Two or three might share one nest (chance of broken eggs as they all shuffle around), they might trade nests back and forth, one might try to chase the others away, or they might each sit on their own nest. There's no good way to predict what they might do.

You could let one hen sit, and break the broodiness of the others.

You could put them all in that coop, give each one some fake eggs, and watch what happens.

But even if they seem fine with eggs, they could have trouble after the chicks hatch. One hen might attack the chicks of another hen. Or one hen might try to steal the chicks of another hen. And while it's not a big problem if chicks get mothered by a different hen, it CAN be a problem if there are too many to fit under her at bedtime!

I have seen cases where hens shared a nest and raised chicks together, and everything was fine-- but for every one case that works, there seem to be plenty of other ones that do not work.

We want to build them a small separate coop away from the rest of the flock so the other hens don't keep laying eggs on top of them and mixing new eggs with eggs that have already been brooded for a few days.

That's a good idea, but you might want to make it with removable dividers. That way you can separate hens if needed, or use it as one larger space at other times.

 

[Momma*chicken]

So I guess in short the answer is no . I don't know what to do about them then. 2 of the girls have been sitting on the eggs for almost a week. I candle them and they r very developed already. The 3rd one won't even let me touch her. She is aggressively protective

 

[Momma*chicken]

When there weren't eggs in the other nesting boxes, the hens were sharing one, until the other girls layed aggs in the other boxes. So it's possible they might get along?

 

[Iluveggers]

Sounds like you have an experiment on your hands...

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

When there weren't eggs in the other nesting boxes, the hens were sharing one, until the other girls layed aggs in the other boxes. So it's possible they might get along?

After they've already been sitting I'd leave them be now.
I have multiple hens that love to sit on eggs together even ducks. I get some chicks and have to take out a bunch that didn't hatch too.
You can mark the eggs that are developing with a sharpie marker so you know which "new" eggs to take out without having to candle every day.

 

[NatJ]

Sounds like you have an experiment on your hands...

I agree. It might work to have them share space, and whether it works or not you will know more about those particular hens in case it happens again.