Ever heard of a Doula Hen???

[anniemary]

I have five hens that are hatching chicks. So far, we have five baby chicks, from three mamas. We also have a sixth hen who has been hanging around the mother hens. She worms her way into the nesting box and sits with a mama for a while. I've seen her with each of the mamas at one time or another. At first one or two would complain and kick her out, but now I think they are just tolerating her.

Once I caught her trying to mother a baby chick outside the nesting boxes. The baby chick nudged underneath her for a while, but then joined his mama in the nesting box. Another time, a mama came out with her two baby chicks to show them how to eat. Our doula hen quickly ran to the nest and sat on the mama hens eggs for her while she was away.

One morning, I found her laying just outside the nesting boxes and there was an egg behind her. She stood up, turned around and pulled the egg underneath her. I thought, oh no, she's gone broody right in front of a mama. So, I created a nest box for her out of a milk crate and moved the egg, hoping she'd rest there. Nope. She pulled out all the hay and the egg, so I brought the egg inside. Turns out it was a rejected egg from one of the mama hens....Imagine my surprise when I cracked the egg for breakfast....ewwwwwwww.

Has anyone else ever seen this behavior?? We have ten nests for 19 hens. I thought this was appropriate, two nests per hen. However, there are only five on the bottom and this is where everyone likes to brood. I've tried to do the milk crate idea, but everyone just pulls the hay out, lays eggs outside of the crate and walks away.

 

[Crazyland]

Very interesting and cool story! I wonder what she is up too.

I have a coop with 3 boxes and they have only used it once. They prefer a card board box lmao and I have caught my 3 laying hens all try to use it at the same time.

 

[ArizonaNessa]

I read on here once where some sort of wild bird (don't remember the name) would sit on the hen's eggs while she was away. My hens don't have chicks but everyday someone will lay an egg and my bantam will go sit on it til someone else gets in a different box and lays. As soon as the laying hen jumps out after laying the egg the bantam will play musical boxes/eggs. It's very funny to watch her hop from box to box.