Several weeks ago I had a hen go broody so I decided to let her hatch a few eggs. First broody was a White American Bresse. We gave her 4 eggs, but when we went on vacation a week later some of the sneaky girls laid 2 more under her. She hatched 4; one died, but three days later she was ready to move out of the nest box and 2 eggs were left.
As luck would have it, another hen went broody (a Dominique), so I stuck the last 2 eggs under that hen and moved mamma and the 3 babies down on the floor of the coop. A few days later another chick hatched and the Dominique abandoned the nest and left the chick uncovered and alone in the box. The original mamma (Bresse) went crazy crying and jumping up to check the new chick, then jumping down to the floor with other 3, so I finally took the baby and put it down on the floor with the others. Mamma immediately adopted the new one which was 3- 4 days younger than the others. The second broody (Dom) wouldn't sit on the egg anymore and kept changing boxes, so I kept moving it under her when she would change boxes. I later learned it was a dud and didn't hatch. A few days later the Dom gave up and quit sitting, but first mamma was doing a great job taking care of the 4 babies.
About 1 week later the Dominique started hanging around with the mamma and babies, not leaving the coop, and scratching around with the little ones. I went out in the evening to check on everyone and the Dom was on the coop floor with the Bresse, and both hens were covering some of the babies. The Dom has now taken an active role in raising the babies, and both mammas spend the day with the little ones, scratching for food, and at night both mammas bed down on the floor and cover the babies.
Has anybody seen this type of behavior before? I'm just going to leave them alone; I'm sure it will all work out. There's no fighting between the mammas and both hens are so attentive to the babies. But I never expected to see this type of behavior.
As luck would have it, another hen went broody (a Dominique), so I stuck the last 2 eggs under that hen and moved mamma and the 3 babies down on the floor of the coop. A few days later another chick hatched and the Dominique abandoned the nest and left the chick uncovered and alone in the box. The original mamma (Bresse) went crazy crying and jumping up to check the new chick, then jumping down to the floor with other 3, so I finally took the baby and put it down on the floor with the others. Mamma immediately adopted the new one which was 3- 4 days younger than the others. The second broody (Dom) wouldn't sit on the egg anymore and kept changing boxes, so I kept moving it under her when she would change boxes. I later learned it was a dud and didn't hatch. A few days later the Dom gave up and quit sitting, but first mamma was doing a great job taking care of the 4 babies.
About 1 week later the Dominique started hanging around with the mamma and babies, not leaving the coop, and scratching around with the little ones. I went out in the evening to check on everyone and the Dom was on the coop floor with the Bresse, and both hens were covering some of the babies. The Dom has now taken an active role in raising the babies, and both mammas spend the day with the little ones, scratching for food, and at night both mammas bed down on the floor and cover the babies.
Has anybody seen this type of behavior before? I'm just going to leave them alone; I'm sure it will all work out. There's no fighting between the mammas and both hens are so attentive to the babies. But I never expected to see this type of behavior.
