6 month old pullet...gone broody, Just a few silly questions?!

[Hannah11]

Hey everyone,
So I have a barnyard flock, a whole bunch of naughty hens and two roo's I have 4 pullets from feb and one has now built up a nest and is sitting she is tiny(6months), she's half mutt bantam and OEG her eggs are still tiny little pullets eggs and i have a really stupid question she's was mated mostly by my large roo and i was wondering how her chicks will do in such small eggs and with giant daddy? will they be okay maybe hatch early?
Another funny little thing she has a sister who is sitting next to her... like she wants to steal the nest is this weird? I think she contributed to the eggs in the nest (may think its hers) seems i have four very broody little hens!

 

[Judy]

People usually avoid trying to hatch pullet eggs because they don't hatch as well, but in the end, you won't know the answer til they are through incubating. I don't know the chances when the cockerel is a different size from the pullet, sorry.

I separate a broody til the chicks hatch, then when the mama starts taking the chicks out of the nest, I put them in with the rest of the flock.. While setting, hens will do all sorts of things, if not separated: return to the wrong nest, steal eggs from other nests, let other hens lay in their nest, etc. Eggs get jostled and broken, and the hen does not have the peace and quiet she naturallly seeks while setting. (In nature, they usually find a hidden spot away from the flock to do their setting and hatching, thenl lead the chicks back to the flock at one or two days old.) This is the simplest way for the human, who only has to change the feed so everyone eats starter or another chick formula after the chicks hatch. Mama takes care of everything else.

 

[Hannah11]

Hmm, I can't wait to find out! he make very cute hens so fingers crossed! mine are free range so i will probably just leave her she's miles away from the others.. except her grumpy sister i might collect some eggs and make her a nest and see if it distracts her? would that work? yesterday I went out after collecting eggs and the grumpy sister was all over them in the basket silly bunch, thanks for your info, I would defiantly follow broody advice if I wasn't free ranging

 

[Hannah11]

UPDATE>> Haha apparently they are job sharing.... I went out this morning and she was sitting, a few hours later and she seemed to have lost interest so i thought oh well maybe next time then to my surprise her sister has taken over and looks to be in for the long haul... she always has been a stubborn grump just like her mother who is an awesome mother so I hope i get chicks.

 

[Jharper]

UPDATE>> Haha apparently they are job sharing.... I went out this morning and she was sitting, a few hours later and she seemed to have lost interest so i thought oh well maybe next time then to my surprise her sister has taken over and looks to be in for the long haul... she always has been a stubborn grump just like her mother who is an awesome mother so I hope i get chicks.

Her sister may have ran her off.

 

[Hannah11]

Haha! she did i just watched a fight but she got her nest back

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Haha! she did i just watched a fight but she got her nest back

I know you are free ranging, but is there any way you can make a more protected isolated spot for the one hen from the other.

I had 3 hens fighting over 2 nests with the result that 2 of them gave up. Fortunately I had a Silkie who I plunked down on the abandoned nest and she saved the day. I then put up a partition in the broody hutch so the 2 end nests were isolated from each other.

Good luck.
Lady of McCamley

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Hmm, I can't wait to find out! he make very cute hens so fingers crossed! mine are free range so i will probably just leave her she's miles away from the others.. except her grumpy sister i might collect some eggs and make her a nest and see if it distracts her?  would that work? yesterday I went out after collecting eggs and the grumpy sister was all over them in the basket silly bunch, thanks for your info, I would defiantly follow broody advice if I wasn't free ranging

As a result, likely you will end up with a dead hen and no chicks.
Some hens will choose a spot and plan ahead for hatching - finding a place she likes, laying for several days, etc. other hens will sit anywhere. You may end up with chicks by leaving her miles away, but more likely your just going to kill you chicken.
Be responsible and give her a quiet, safe place by herself. This can simply be a large dog crate w/ food and water.
My grandma let her chickens sit in the general nest, as a result, 5 eggs is down to one.

 

[Hannah11]

I went out and was pretty worried they were to violent one is extra grumpy! so i build another nest box grabbed a bunch of eggs from the fridge and now the other one is sitting on it- so I'm happy they are both distracted now, the second one has food and water in her shed so hopefully she won't leave and find the other hen (who i did the same for) thanks for your concerns! all happy now