Broody loneliness!!

[Johnn]

They are yes, very cute. Will the third hen attack the chicks dyu think? What if there's only one chick, will they fight over it? Xxx

Did your old hen get along with the two broodies? if so, she probably wont. And if she is not above both of them then they will protect the chick/s. If they are sharing eggs then they will probably share mothering responsibilities. So they most likely wont fight over them. Hopefully you will get 2, one for each hen! Hope all goes well, good luck!

 

[EmmaJane88]

Thanks! We have two pips so looking good. The other hen is the same age, silkie and middle of the pecking order, two broody ones are either end.

My dilemma is this... I had 2 simultaneous hatches. 3/4 made in to lockdown in batch one but only one egg was fertile from batch two. So I can't put the hatching ones under otherwise ill be stuck with one chick 5 days younger and the mum won't accept the lone hatcher.

So I'm thinking of putting the singleton under them both. So one chick, two hens.

What dyu reckon? Xxx

 

[Johnn]

That should be fine. Last year I had two broodys sitting with a week between with the hatch rates and the first hens eggs didn't hatch and then the next week my other broody got a chick and then had a egg peeping so I took the egg and put it under the failed broody and it hatched. Later on that day I took the broody that originally failed and put her and the chick into the broody shed with my successful girl and they accepted each others chicks and brought them up together and then the originally failed broody was killed when something attacked my hens and killed another too, so the successful girl brought them both up xx

 

[EmmaJane88]

They're funny little things aren't they. Well I tried to break the broody but she trotted back to her shared nest. My lonely silkie Matilda will have to wait til next week when she becomes an auntie!! Xxx