Broody chicken politics

[BrownBurger]

Hi all!
I have a question about when to reintroduce a mumma hen and her two chicks to the coop that is currently occupied by a broody hen on day 12 of sitting on 8 fertile eggs.
For background: my first hen, Browny, went broody, so I got her 8 eggs to sit on. The second hen, Mavis, went broody about a week later and they were both trying to sit on the same eggs in the same nesting box, so I got Mavis another 8 eggs to sit on in another box, but alas, all eggs and chickens ended up in the same box.

Two of the initial batch of 8 eggs hatched on Friday 14th October (of the remaining 6 one got crushed and one went missing - my labrador is the suspect; I candled the rest and they weren’t viable).

Browny and Mavis seemed to want to co-parent, so on Saturday I moved Browny and the two chicks into a makeshift coop using a cat carry box inside a large dog crate, before the remaining 8 eggs still to hatch next week we’re abandoned. They’re inside my laundry room as the holes in the crate will not protect from snakes, rats etc. Browny seems happy and she’s being a good mumma to her new chicks.

I would like to get Browny and her chicks back into the coop at some point soon, but don’t want Mavis to assume the mum role and abandon the eggs, or to get narky with the new chicks.

Could anyone offer some advice as to how long o should leave it?

Thx

 

[Domino-The-Rooster]

have you done this before

 

[dennisma1]

Luckily I've never had two broodies at once, but my broody queen buff o always seems very protective of her babies as is kind of a jerk to the other hens . I dont think anyone could steal them if they wanted to. I do put them in a separate run lined with chicken wire inside the big run at first, mostly because the chicks have no problem escaping through chain link. I let the other hens in sometimes to see how they act. The other hens are nice enough to the chicks until they feather out, at which point they seem to join the pecking order. I suppose the best thing to do is just try it out for an hour and keep and eye on the new broody.

 

[BrownBurger]

have you done this before

Nope! I got three pullets in July and here we are!

 

[Domino-The-Rooster]

ok so don't keep hen and chicks in the coop until about 3 weeks otherwise the hens will kill the chicks

 

[BrownBurger]

ok so don't keep hen and chicks in the coop until about 3 weeks otherwise the hens will kill the chicks

Ah thank you! I didn’t even think about the other chicken who still shares the coop at night with broody Mavis. She did spend one night with the chicks and didn’t kill them, but I probably shouldn’t risk it

 

[BrownBurger]

Luckily I've never had two broodies at once, but my broody queen buff o always seems very protective of her babies as is kind of a jerk to the other hens . I dont think anyone could steal them if they wanted to. I do put them in a separate run lined with chicken wire inside the big run at first, mostly because the chicks have no problem escaping through chain link. I let the other hens in sometimes to see how they act. The other hens are nice enough to the chicks until they feather out, at which point they seem to join the pecking order. I suppose the best thing to do is just try it out for an hour and keep and eye on the new broody.

Thank you. I’ve got an outdoor run on the way so I might see how well they mingle under supervision

 

[WIchickMama]

ok so don't keep hen and chicks in the coop until about 3 weeks otherwise the hens will kill the chicks

Not necessarily

Lots of people let hens hatch and raise chicks along with other flock members and have no problems.

I had a broody in July and separated her for a week and it has hard for her to get back into the flock. I had one hen that was a little too curious for me, so I separated her off in the run no the mama at 3 weeks everyone was fine.

I have a broody now, different mama, that I am going to let raise the chicks with no separation. It can be done and I think is easier for the mama. If she is a good mama she will protect them, and with only 2 it is an easy number for her to watch.

All that said, I would move her back and not separate the next broody.