Chicks Due This Weekend - Please Help!

[JadeMurphy]

Hi everyone,

I have a Pekin currently sat on 11 eggs. They are due to hatch this Saturday & I'm really excited.
However, I've been away for a couple of days & told my brother just to leave her to it. She hasn't been separated from the others as we only have two hens & a rooster. But now I've come back our Silkie hen has stolen half of the eggs & is sat tight. I've tried everything to get her off but she's not having any of it & I don't want a fight or worse when Pekin hatches her babies.
I haven't got anywhere else to put Silkie & even if I did I don't know what the best method is to do it so she doesn't get upset or abandon them. They're both sat in the same nest box at the moment (I have a standard Eglu).
Can they hatch eggs next to each other? Can they raise chicks in the same pen?
Any help would be much appreciated. I don't have long till hatch day

 

[CascadiaRiver]

I have known many people to hatch chicks under two hens and the two hens share the babies, just be weary and keep enough of an eye on them~

 

[JadeMurphy]

Thanks CascadiaRiver.

I will see how it goes but I am worried a little as I only have one chick feeder & one chick water-er. It's not very spacious for two hens & potentially eleven chicks to be in all day either so I will build a ramp that they can manage.

I have never heard of sharing babies but I have heard horror stories of jealous hens. Fingers crossed though.

 

[CascadiaRiver]

Good luck!

 

[JadeMurphy]

They have started hatching this afternoon! Two out of nine so far (two feel like they haven't developed).
I have noticed some pecking just a minute ago but can't tell if it's at each other, the babies or something else? Eggs & chicks are still under both moms & they have a baby each.
Should I wait till tomorrow to give the other eggs chance to hatch or just seperate them now? Don't want to leave it too late.

 

[JadeMurphy]

So left them to it & three have hatched so far. One died during hatching - it didn't manage to get to zipping.
I've noticed they are taking it turns to take the babies out & about, but there is some squabbling over the remaining eggs. I'm giving them till Saturday & hopefully some more should hatch that have two mommas