Help! I have a broody in a separate pen. She is on day 19 with one pip I have another hen who went broody about 5 days ago. I don't have a rooster so she is sitting on duds. I got my fertile eggs from a lady off craig's list - these are the ones on day 18. I don't really want to go through the whole 21 days again so soon with another batch. I am wanting to slip a few of the fertile eggs under my second broody so she can hatch some too. The problem is that the only pen I can put her in is the same one as the first broody. Do you think they will be ok together? Will the mommies want to kill the other hen's chicks?
Thats something you can`t guarantee. I have three on the SAME nest right now, I`m hoping they will do OK. Frequently they will share families, if the two hens got along before the hatch.
Ok I DO NOT think this is a good idea. I have always been FOR putting more then one broody together in a pen to raise a big brood together but only if they became broody within a week of eachother so I could put eggs under both of them at the same time. Becuase you deffiantley DO NOT want the hens to be setting on different aged eggs that will hatch at different times. And your broody has only been setting for about 5 days right? It is not a good idea to give her the eggs before atleast a week in a half or longer. But if she is an experienced broody then... maybe it wouldnt hurt to try it> but that one hen has been brooding all this time and if you put a new hen in there with her it will be a shock to her and prably end up in a fight... I wouldnt do it if It was me. If they start setting together from the begining they begin to work as a team to raise the chicks and then they usaully dont fight when the two broods hatch. My grandfather always put at least 2 hens together, sometimes even 3 but they always started setting the eggs from day 1 together...
Sometimes you can have more then one hen w/chicks in the same pen. I have some hens that do fine with other hens and then there are a few hens that I can NOT put anywhere near another hen w/peeps. Alot depends on the hen/s. Good luck with them..........
