Can more than one hen raise a brood?

[PhilPalm]

Hi guys, so my chickens have come of age now, and I have had 11 eggs, albeit the smallest eggs I have ever seen!! Now, out of the 9 available nesting boxes, they have all chosen to share the same two boxes... Should I be concerned about this? If they fill one box can I move some eggs to other boxes? Also, if I dont move them, would one mother sit on everyone eggs? If not,and I have 3 or 4 mothers in a fairly small enclosed area, will they come into conflict?

Thanks in advance for your insights...

 

[keesmom]

Newly laying pullets are unlikely to go broody. There is no guarantee any of them will ever go broody. What breed(s) are they?

So collect those eggs for now, and save any potential hatches for when their eggs get larger. If you want to see if any show interest in setting get some wooden eggs and put those in the nest boxes. If one does start brooding then replace the wooden eggs with real ones. If you do have more than one hatch chicks, they may get along or they may not. It depends on the individuals involved.

You mention they are in a small enclosed area. Do you even have room to add more birds? Do you have a plan for the extra males?

 

[True Patriot]

First, they're all going to use the same boxes. It's just what chickens do. 9 boxes is enough for probably 40 birds. They will only sit and hatch eggs when broody. You can't make them broody, some breeds are inclined to go broody more, some almost never. Which brings me to question time...
What size is your coop? Run? At least 4 sq ft in the coop is recommended per bird. And 10 sq ft each in the run.
What breeds and ages do you have? And how many of each? How many cockerel/roosters? If the eggs are infertile then no amount of sitting will have results.
If you can post pics of your set up it would be easier to give you more details.

 

[lazy gardener]

TP makes a very valid point. If you were to get a broody, and she did hatch chicks, you would need much more than the minimum recommended space. And, if you did hatch eggs, do you have an appropriate and workable exit plan for the approximately 60% of cockerels you will get with each hatch? Rehoming them to a "forever home" is NOT a workable plan.

 

[chickens really]

Hello...Only Broody Hens will hatch eggs and you need a Rooster to breed the Hens to fertilize the eggs too.
Collect your eggs daily and eat them. Toss out the eggs that have been collecting in your nest boxes.

 

[PhilPalm]

Newly laying pullets are unlikely to go broody. There is no guarantee any of them will ever go broody. What breed(s) are they?

So collect those eggs for now, and save any potential hatches for when their eggs get larger. If you want to see if any show interest in setting get some wooden eggs and put those in the nest boxes. If one does start brooding then replace the wooden eggs with real ones. If you do have more than one hatch chicks, they may get along or they may not. It depends on the individuals involved.

You mention they are in a small enclosed area. Do you even have room to add more birds? Do you have a plan for the extra males?

They are native Filipino chickens, I am told they are Darag, which means nothing to me... The one older mother is already sitting on the 8 small eggs, and several others are making indentations in the ground and sitting in them, but with no eggs. Their enclosure is a netted off area of the garden, I cant tell you the measurements off hand, I will measure and let you know tomoro... However, as a rough idea, there are several banana plants and calamansi trees and a mango tree contained within, so its not too small.. We started off with a female, and she has hatched twice so far... Her first brood hatched 6months ago, these are the ones which are now starting to lay. Her second brood are maybe 2 months old.. The boys go to our farm to grow to either breed for meat or to become meat themselves.. We do use different cockerels here at the house, to avoid inbreeding

 

[PhilPalm]

First, they're all going to use the same boxes. It's just what chickens do. 9 boxes is enough for probably 40 birds. They will only sit and hatch eggs when broody. You can't make them broody, some breeds are inclined to go broody more, some almost never. Which brings me to question time...
What size is your coop? Run? At least 4 sq ft in the coop is recommended per bird. And 10 sq ft each in the run.
What breeds and ages do you have? And how many of each? How many cockerel/roosters? If the eggs are infertile then no amount of sitting will have results.
If you can post pics of your set up it would be easier to give you more details.

I think I answered most of these questions in the previous reply.. I have a rooster, 1 established female, and her daughters from 2 previous broods...9 6month olds and 8 2month olds. The boys from the most recent brood will be taken to the farm in the next month or so.. so 19 birds right now, less once the boys are relocated... I shall photo the enclosure tomorrow

 

[PhilPalm]

TP makes a very valid point. If you were to get a broody, and she did hatch chicks, you would need much more than the minimum recommended space. And, if you did hatch eggs, do you have an appropriate and workable exit plan for the approximately 60% of cockerels you will get with each hatch? Rehoming them to a "forever home" is NOT a workable plan.

What is a forever home?

 

[lazy gardener]

That is my "tongue in cheek" description of the person who wants to give away their problem animals instead of being responsible for them. ie: "Free roosters to good home. Must not be eaten." If one has a rooster that he doesn't want to eat, why not just give it a "forever home" right where it is, instead on thinking that someone else is going to want to provide housing and feed for it.

 

[PhilPalm]

That is my "tongue in cheek" description of the person who wants to give away their problem animals instead of being responsible for them. ie: "Free roosters to good home. Must not be eaten." If one has a rooster that he doesn't want to eat, why not just give it a "forever home" right where it is, instead on thinking that someone else is going to want to provide housing and feed for it.

Ahh, that makes sense!! I myself am a vegetarian, hence why we send the boys off to the farm to get fat ready to eat or get big ready to breed more meat or egg animals. I am aiming to have 20 or so hens and no rooster here at the house, laying eggs for the fridge, by christmas.. Plans for the farm involve purchasing some broody hens for some of our males, and rotating them to provide a steady source of cheap meat for the family, and with any luck, enough spare eggs to sell to the locals in our farm sari-sari shop!!!