Four broody Serama hens.

[Lidiapac730]

Hello, four of my serama hens (that means all of them) went broody. I was trying to take the eggs away from them, because I didn't want any more chicks, but they managed to hatch 3 baby chicks. Now I have four all puffed up, angry seramas caring for 3 babies together. I just have a question, are the babies safe? Will they fight over the babies and hurt them? The babies just hatched 2 days ago, so far they are fine, they all keep together, but I don't know if hens can get jealous. Thanks in advance.

 

[aart]

I'd leave the chicks with 1 broody and break the other 3.

This is how I break a broody, might need smaller mesh on bottom for seramas.

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.
My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.
Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

 

[NNYchick]

@aart I'm wondering what to do with multiple broodies? I currently have more broody than cages. Will it still work with more than one to a cage? I currently have 2 serama and 2 silkie smooshing themselves in a nestbox.

 

[aart]

@aart I'm wondering what to do with multiple broodies? I currently have more broody than cages. Will it still work with more than one to a cage? I currently have 2 serama and 2 silkie smooshing themselves in a nestbox.

Have never had more than one at a time...
...but have read that some put 2 birds in 1 big enough crate.

 

[NNYchick]

I’m going to try this as the group keeps getting bigger and I’m done with chicks for the season.