broody flock?

[cluckymama]

Hello everyone! I'm new here I was wondering if it is normal for a flock of chickens to all take turns sitting on a clutch?

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

Yes it happens! Many times close sister broodies will share duties of setting on the eggs. And sometimes you will have two broodies in the same nest box hatching their own clutches together!

Good luck with your broodies and I hope you get some spring chicks soon!

 

[cluckymama]

Thank you. I thought there were 3 brooders but now a 4th is sitting. I've read a lot of posts that say only 1 sits on the nest. If they're close does that mean they're ok? It's literally 1 nest with eggs that 4 different hens are taking turns on...

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! X2 it is not unusual for more than one broody to try and sit on the same nest. Usually people only want one broody on a nest though, if you have multiple hens fighting over the same nest the eggs and chicks have a higher chance of getting hurt. Also if you have multiple hens laying in the same nest they won't all be on the exact same schedule, so you probably have eggs at different stages of development as some will still be laying after some went broody.

 

[cluckymama]

Thank you again. They're not fighting, 1 gets off and another gets on. The eggs to be hatched are marked with an x . 3 hens sat on them this morning only 1 extra egg.

 

[TwoCrows]

Yes, I would definitely date all these eggs as some of these birds may not be broody and just laying their eggs in this clutch. You want them to all to be closely laid together and when the birds are truly incubating, not to have any newly added eggs.

Good luck!

 

[cluckymama]

Thank you very much. Any other opinions and information greatly appreciated

 

[gander007]

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC - I agree with Kelsie that multiple hens setting on/sharing a clutch GENERALLY results in lower % hatches.

 

[cluckymama]

I would really like to try to let them hatch within the flock as I am a stay at home mom and can watch carefully. Should I just sort of pen them in with their eggs? Where their nests are?