Can a Broody hen be put in same coop as hen that just hatched chicks?

[NevadaEmma]

Can a Broody hen be put in same coop as hen that just hatched chicks?

I had my first experience with broody Buff Orphington. She had gone broody in the main coop. I moved her on the second day to a smaller empty coop and she settled down to sit on them with little problem. Two days ago she hatched 7 out of 11 eggs successfully. 2 of the eggs had chicks in them but they were dead, the other eggs must not have been fertile.

Yesterday I noticed that my other Buff Orphington seemed to be exhibiting the same characteristics so I am fairly sure she is going broody. I had left about a dozen eggs in one next box, but she went to the box next door. I slipped about 8 of the eggs under her with not much fuss.

My question is: Can I move the second Orphington upstairs in the smaller coop and let her sit on her eggs without bothering the first Orphington who has moved her little group down stairs out of the nesting box area?

My other choice would be to either leave her in the main coop with all the other hens(7) and the 2 roosters or move the first Orphington into the main coop which I am not keen to do. I do have a third coop that I am raising 16 Salmon Faverolles. I closed off the nesting boxes, but could put the second Orphington in one of the boxes, but she would not have access to anywhere but the nest box.

Any advice?

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

The broody should be fine in the coop with the hen with chicks.

 

[9_OddHens]

Can a Broody hen be put in same coop as hen that just hatched chicks?

I had my first experience with broody Buff Orphington. She had gone broody in the main coop. I moved her on the second day to a smaller empty coop and she settled down to sit on them with little problem. Two days ago she hatched 7 out of 11 eggs successfully. 2 of the eggs had chicks in them but they were dead, the other eggs must not have been fertile.

Yesterday I noticed that my other Buff Orphington seemed to be exhibiting the same characteristics so I am fairly sure she is going broody. I had left about a dozen eggs in one next box, but she went to the box next door. I slipped about 8 of the eggs under her with not much fuss.

My question is: Can I move the second Orphington upstairs in the smaller coop and let her sit on her eggs without bothering the first Orphington who has moved her little group down stairs out of the nesting box area?

My other choice would be to either leave her in the main coop with all the other hens(7) and the 2 roosters or move the first Orphington into the main coop which I am not keen to do. I do have a third coop that I am raising 16 Salmon Faverolles. I closed off the nesting boxes, but could put the second Orphington in one of the boxes, but she would not have access to anywhere but the nest box.

Any advice?

Hi there, can I ask how this all went for you?

I have an Orp that just hatched 2 eggs, and a bantam that went broody a few days after the Orp hatched her eggs (I put an egg under the bantam).

I had moved the Orp to a private coop (nursery) just before she hatched her chicks, & I'd like to move the bantam there too before she hatches her single egg (its an Orp egg).

I'm worried that when the bantam hatches her egg:
Will the Orp that is raising her 2 chicks kill the new chick?
Will the Orps 2 chicks (should be a month old by then) kill the new chick?

Bantam should be hatching hers in about 2 weeks. Right now she's in with a HUUUGE rooster, and 7 hens.
She's only 1 of 2 bantams (no bantam roos)

 

[NevadaEmma]

Hello, Are you sure that the Bantams egg is fertilized? May the egg is not the Bantams but one of the other full size hens?

Well the second Orphington would not stay in the coop with her sister and her seven, week old chicks. She ended up staying in a nest box in the main coop with all the other chickens and the rooster. No one bothered her and she successfully hatched six little fluff balls about a week ago. Within a few days, she moved them out of the coop to the open space under the coop. It is protected from predators on three sides, the fourth side being where the coop door and ramp are located. I set her up with hay, food and water and some temporary boards blocking most of the access to that area to keep the other hens out.

It is amazing how quickly the chicks learn how negotiate their world. Within a few days the mothers had them out scratching for food. I still supplement both Orphingtons and their chicks with hard boiled egg yolk, some finely chopped Napa cabbage, a favorite of my geese, and offer them chick food and water in their own sperate areas.

The other hens are starting to challenge the first Orphington when I bring out the treats for the chicks. (The rooster and other hens get their own grouping of morning treats, but they always want more.)

I did try to add chicks that I had incubated to the two little groups, but the mothers would not accept them, nor would one of the other hens that seemed to have gone broody. I do think that the mothers would have done damage to the additional chicks, not sure if they would have killed them but I did not want to take the chance.

I have a group of 16 Salmon Faverolles, two of which are roosters. They accepted four young orphingtons that I "rescued" from the local feed store at the end of the season. No problems accepting the new additions. Amazing!

I now have put in10 chicks that I incubated and 4 young Salmon Faverolles in with the big Faverolles which now number 20 (S. Faverolles and the Orphingtons.) I think there will be no problem. I am very pleased with the temperament of the S. Faverolles at least with accepting other younger chicks. They are more curious than aggressive.

End of the epistle is that I would not try to add the Bantam mother to the Orp until she hatches her egg. Make sure they have separate areas within the coop, but keep a close eye on them until you think they are accepting the arrangement. If not separate them at the first signs of an actual, potential damaging strike.

Good luck, I know it can be challenging to make space for all the different situations, but they will do their best for their young ones.

 

[9_OddHens]

The egg under the bantam is an Orpington egg (I am hoping its fertile) Without a Bantam Roo I knew it was pointless to leave her with her own egg.

My second Bantam went broody yesterday (I've given her an Orpington egg as well)
They are sitting in 2 separate boxes, in the main coop, and they voice their disgust every time the other girls try to come into the coop. Small birds - big attitudes.

Took your advice and made a separate private area for them. I have a tiny barn, but somehow I made it work (just hoping no one else goes broody right away LOL I'm out of room for this kind of stuff!).

I tried to move the Bantams into their new spot this morning, but they got quite upset and spent far too long (in my mind) trying to get back to the other coop/boxes. *sigh* I put them back in their original boxes, with their eggs. Maybe it was too soon to try moving them?
I don't know... should I just leave them where they are? I'm worried the other hens &/or the Roo would try killing them & my wee bantams would not be able to defend the chicks properly.

What are your thoughts?

Orpington Roosters are so odd & unpredictable (he could just as easily try to help raise the chicks, as he could try to kill them).. he was sitting on an egg this morning. the sweet goof.

 

[NevadaEmma]

I had some Bantams (purchased by mistake, but raised with love anyway) but the rooster (yes it was supposed to be a female) had the little dog syndrome. He would chase the big roosters around mercilessly (it was pretty funny). He even attacked his reflection in the Barbeque or hubcaps. He was a beautiful bird, but it was clear that it was not going to work so I found new homes for all the bantams.

I have heard that Bantams make great broody hens and great mothers. My neighbor had a few dozen chickens (left outside and the coyotes got them), and their little bantams hatched some eggs that were clearly not their own.

I would let them be where they want to be. I think if they felt they were in danger, then they would not have nested there. I could be completely wrong, but if no one has bothered them yet, they may not.

My two Orphingtons moved their new chicks out of the nest box to an area down below their coop within a couple of days of hatching. The first Orp trained her 7 chicks to go up and down the ramp very quickly and they now stay upstairs in the nest boxes at night. The first mother has been attempting to move her group into the main coop, but so far the chicks have resisted but they are only about a week old.

The second Orp mother as I said, moved her 6 chicks to the space under the main coop but they are already free ranging most of the day. She did go back into the main coop last night, but apparently only two chicks followed her. When I checked on everyone in the evening her other 4 chicks were still down below all huddled together. I crawled under the coop and brought them back up to spend the night under their mother with the rest of the chicks. She also had the two eggs under her that the other hens had laid that day which I removed.

Funny about the Orp rooster. Is he friendly to you? Good luck. Trust the mothers instincts unless it is pretty obvious that things are not going well.

 

[9_OddHens]

The Orp rooster is awesome with me & the family.
He comes when I call him by name (Papa), loves getting neck scratches, follows me around like a puppy, and enjoys sitting on my shoulders (though he's almost 8 lbs and his spurs are stupid long now so it's hard to walk around with him like that LOL) He's just a big goofy sweetheart.... unless he's in a 'mood', then he bullies a few of the older girls and turns into a big goofy a**hole.

My 2 bantams (the girls on eggs) are not very bright or big... and I don't know what the other hens (& Papa) will do once the eggs hatch.... I'll put a ramp at their 2 boxes, hopefully that will help.
There is a separate space set up for them both, in the event that they can't stay in the main coop with everyone.
I guess all I can do is have my fingers crossed & hope things work out.

thanks for replying!!!