Hatching with 2 broodies

[geesfarm]

I like having two broody hens at once, especially if one is small or otherwise limited. Sounds to me like the two will be fine. I totally recommend moving them to the smaller coop where they can be on the floor. Sounds like you have a very busy coop. I have found that once the chicks jump down, there is no more sitting on the eggs left in the nest. I also have a hard time keeping my hands out of the brooder, so I have turned to my hens to take care of it. I check the eggs, etc, but they choose which ones to sit on and which ones to reject. Don't know where you live, but it might be good to have a light somewhere in the coop if it gets cold. Keep good litter or straw under them. Good luck!

 

[jenshenstoo]

Are you allowing two hens to brood together???? NOT a good idea. They will kill the other's chicks. Separate them immediately.

 

[Teila]

Jack, was this message for Tommy's Girl or someone earlier in the thread? I think everyone on the thread already has their eggs and has either hatched them, or is about to.

From what I understand, right before the hatch is not the time to move the broodies! Better to do it early on or after the hatch. I wound up closing off the access to the particular nest my hens were setting in, and that worked well. But, even that had a downside, because one of the broodies started teaching the littles to scratch in the nest, knocking around the unhatched eggs. I tried to move them to a home-made incubator, but that didn't work.

Excited for you, Tommy's Girl!!
My two little ones and their larger family are doing well - they both just started growing their tail feathers - a good sign for femininity, I hear! But, no one is laying right now! I can't believe I might have to actually buy some eggs soon!

Howdy Liz

Good to hear that things are progressing well .. bit sad about maybe having to buy eggs, that is a bit cheeky of them!
All pretty good here also; everyone well and cruising along nicely.

 

[Teila]

My first batch of eggs was from 3 different hens, with the 4th hen being the broody hen in town. Well of the 5 that hatched, 5 were roos. lol.

But they were well trained roos and I could herd them like geese and they understood some words. However they just had to go when they started chasing the new batch of blue Orpingtons.

I

Oh no Florida 5 Roos from 5 ... I so hope my 5 are not all Roosters because then I will not be able to keep one and I will be very sad if I have to part with all of them :-(

 

[coops gone crazy]

Are you allowing two hens to brood together???? NOT a good idea. They will kill the other's chicks. Separate them immediately.

Take a deep breath......have a beer.....relax......


Just sayin'........


Chickens have been living without isolation during hatching for a long......long......loooonnnnngggg........time.......

.....but I am still unsure.....which one DID come first? Chicken? Egg?

 

[lizgarf]

Well said, Coops!
Jenshens, perhaps you missed some of our earlier posts, including the fabulous family portrait of my two proud moms + chicks (plus our emphasis on being a positive, supportive, forum for each other, as we figure out what works best for our flocks). While my hatch rate may have declined somewhat due to the two broodies (and a number of other factors), they have done a fabulous job supporting each other through this process and neither of them, nor my two other hens, has harmed a feather on their chicks.
I do not doubt that some hens pose a threat to newborn chicks, but keeping 2 broodies together has been an extremely positive experience in my coop, and may well work out for others too.

 

[tommysgirl]

Day 21 ish!!! ( I gave her the eggs in the eggs in the pm) I am heading out to check as soon as I get dressed!

 

[tommysgirl]

Nada, zippy, nothing

I am on the listen for cheeps and on the look out for shell fragments.

 

[lizgarf]

Good luck! We're cheering for you!

 

[Florida]

Since my only broody has gone on strike, I am incubating some eggs. How old do the chicks have to be before I move them in with the rest of the flock? I had happy thoughts that Millie the only mother hen would be so happy to see them. No?

Any ideas about placing her and the soon to be hatched eggs into a crate. Would she take them as hers then?