Hen hatched chicks-can I put another broody in with a clutch?

[TennesseeChicken]

Ok--we have a 'chick shed' where we put all of our broodies with eggs. We have one broody that just hatched three chicks. I have nine eggs I found on the property I would like to hatch and have another broody to do it. Can I put the new broody in the same 'shed' as the new hatches? I've already suffered a loss by keeping the new hatches in GenPop and don't want to go through that again. Thanks for any suggestions!

Mary Bowers

 

[CAjerseychick]

Sorry have not had experience with that (am nervous cause my new hatch of 4 are in with Gen pop, but the other 9 hens seem to be steering respectively clear so far, we are on day 5)....
But did read on another thread that the OP's experience was that 2 broodies together may see the other as an adversery and kill the others chicks.... Just be careful.
Others have had 2 broodies together successfully but they seem to have been together from the start, not staggered.....
THats what I gathered from other threads.....
Good luck and keep us update, I would like to know as well!

 

[bobbi-j]

My current mama hen would not let any other hen in the vicinity of her babies for the first month. Any hapless hen that would wander too close got attacked. It might work if you could divide your shed so the mama is in one part and the broody in another. This would be one of the few good uses for chicken wire. It could be done simply and quickly.

 

[elliechooks]

When I put mama hen and day old chicks into a run with 3 week old chicks mama hen flipped out and went mad at the older ones if they got even close. She would not let them near food or water either! Had to separate them a bit quick because I really thought she might kill them!

 

[TennesseeChicken]

Well, two out of three hatched. I tried putting two hens (separate times) in the shed with a clutch but they freaked out and flew out. They made it back to the 'egg-mobile' and still seem broody so I put the eggs under them. I figure I have 21 days to try to move them again, if not then I will wait until they hatch and then try to move, I guess. The two chicks I put into gen-pop seem to be doing well. Lost one of my older babies- golden comet-beautiful!- to a predator yesterday. That just sucks so bad.

Thanks for the replies!!

 

[TennesseeChicken]

Well, two out of three hatched. I tried putting two hens (separate times) in the shed with a clutch but they freaked out and flew out. They made it back to the 'egg-mobile' and still seem broody so I put the eggs under them. I figure I have 21 days to try to move them again, if not then I will wait until they hatch and then try to move, I guess. The two chicks I put into gen-pop seem to be doing well. Lost one of my older babies- golden comet-beautiful!- to a predator yesterday. That just sucks so bad.

Thanks for the replies!!

 

[CAjerseychick]

Well, two out of three hatched. I tried putting two hens (separate times) in the shed with a clutch but they freaked out and flew out. They made it back to the 'egg-mobile' and still seem broody so I put the eggs under them. I figure I have 21 days to try to move them again, if not then I will wait until they hatch and then try to move, I guess. The two chicks I put into gen-pop seem to be doing well. Lost one of my older babies- golden comet-beautiful!- to a predator yesterday. That just sucks so bad.

Thanks for the replies!!

Yeah I never could get my broody moved to the broody crate she kept leaving-- so hatched out in the nest box--
Our gen pop situation works because the chickens free range out everyday and I have like 4 feeders (for 11 adults, now 15 total) chickens and 3 waterers... So the hens can go to another feeder besides the one next to the broody crate (which is next to the coop and Tad-da, now that the chicks are hatched out, day 5 she moved them back into it herself, but they come out during the day to eat and forage)....

 

[TennesseeChicken]

All of ours are free-ranging as well. We have six feeders for about 50 chickens. I was amazed that the two little chicks made it back into the egg-mobile their first night! LOL

 

[CAjerseychick]

All of ours are free-ranging as well. We have six feeders for about 50 chickens. I was amazed that the two little chicks made it back into the egg-mobile their first night! LOL

The chicks have access to their broody mama right? How old are they, I would leave em with their mama....

 

[TennesseeChicken]

I now have three sets of chicks. Two that are about 3 mos (there were 4, but two were taken by predators), two that are about 1 1/2 months (their Mom kind of abandoned them and they are the ones in GenPop and doing well) and two new ones, with Mom in the chick shed. And now I have nine eggs under hens in GenPop.