co-parenting?

[chicken moma]

unusual behavior,
I had 2 black free range wild Hawaiian hens brooding, sitting next to each other, they dont usually like each other, they hatched one egg each within 2 days of each other, the 1st moms chick died, so she sat outside the other hens box? walked around, calling and trying to feed her chick? the 2nd hen was still sitting. her chick hatched and she was trying for a 2nd egg? I felt so bad for the first hen and did not think the 2nd chick looked good, so I picked up (2) week old chicks. brought them home left them in a box so they could hear the hens, and the hen could hear them, couple of hours later let them out of the box into the nest . the first hen jumped in and took on the 2 chicks. the 2nd hen did loose the chick, but she is co parenting the adoptive chick? ( the 2nd adoptive chick went missing? ) now the chick doesnt know which to follow they both sit on him, feed him, call him, and the strangest thing is they come back to the box and BOTH hens squeeze in with him.? this is so cute and sad. I have never seen 2 hens mothering 1 chick? adopted and already a week old? (the chick is a 11 day male wyandotte very cute) not sure what to expect but so far so good?

 

[The Farmers' Daughter]

I had 2 OEGBs set on eggs together. Only 1 hatched, but they did a fantastic job mothering together.

 

[chrissynemetz]

I've never had it happen, but my neighbor had two barred rock hens who hatched 5 chicks from the same nest and raised them together. It seemed like it worked out fine

 

[chicken moma]

unusual behavior,
I had 2 black free range wild Hawaiian hens brooding, sitting next to each other, they dont usually like each other, they hatched one egg each within 2 days of each other, the 1st moms chick died, so she sat outside the other hens box? walked around, calling and trying to feed her chick? the 2nd hen was still sitting. her chick hatched and she was trying for a 2nd egg? I felt so bad for the first hen and did not think the 2nd chick looked good, so I picked up (2) week old chicks. brought them home left them in a box so they could hear the hens, and the hen could hear them, couple of hours later let them out of the box into the nest . the first hen jumped in and took on the 2 chicks. the 2nd hen did loose the chick, but she is co parenting the adoptive chick? ( the 2nd adoptive chick went missing? ) now the chick doesnt know which to follow they both sit on him, feed him, call him, and the strangest thing is they come back to the box and BOTH hens squeeze in with him.? this is so cute and sad. I have never seen 2 hens mothering 1 chick? adopted and already a week old? (the chick is a 11 day male wyandotte very cute) not sure what to expect but so far so good?

 

[chicken moma]

up date; to night mom was up in the big tree to roost, and the chick was not. he cant fly up or climb up yet, tries to, looks up, tries to jump but is not very agile. he is a wyandotte not a wild chick, and only 4 weeks old in 2 days, has only fluff, she just called him, and stayed up in the tree. he was so tired he came to me and let me hold him, I put him up the trunk, he tried to maneuver to her calling, but fell out. Previously she gives up comes down and they settle in the box but tonight she was not coming down. I am now worried for him, I think he is too little to sleep alone. I know Hawaii is warm but he does not have his feathers yet? I put him in the box where they have been sleeping, with towels and covered him over he is very tired, from an hour + of trying to get in the tree, I will let him back out in the am. she is attentive otherwise. I dont think he has the ability to climb or fly that high and mom wont take him into the tree with the lower trunk? so I dont know what I should do?

 

[The Farmers' Daughter]

up date; to night mom was up in the big tree to roost, and the chick was not. he cant fly up or climb up yet, tries to, looks up, tries to jump but is not very agile. he is a wyandotte not a wild chick, and only 4 weeks old in 2 days, has only fluff, she just called him, and stayed up in the tree. he was so tired he came to me and let me hold him, I put him up the trunk, he tried to maneuver to her calling, but fell out. Previously she gives up comes down and they settle in the box but tonight she was not coming down. I am now worried for him, I think he is too little to sleep alone. I know Hawaii is warm but he does not have his feathers yet? I put him in the box where they have been sleeping, with towels and covered him over he is very tired, from an hour + of trying to get in the tree, I will let him back out in the am. she is attentive otherwise. I dont think he has the ability to climb or fly that high and mom wont take him into the tree with the lower trunk? so I dont know what I should do?

I wouldn't worry. Mom knows what she's doing. If he's 4 weeks old he will do fine on his own. That's about the age that hens go back to their usual routines and let the babies become chickens.