Hens co-parenting?

[RIredlady]

Ok so I let one of my barred rocks go broody and hatch some babies. One of my jersey giants decided she too wanted to hatch babies, but decided to join the barred rock in the same nesting box. So far we’ve got 3 chicks, both hens are in the same nesting box, still baking their babies and taking care of the 3 that have hatched so far. I’ve never dealt with this before, but I don’t know if it’s weird or not.

Any thoughts or input is welcome. (PS I’m trying to do this as natural as possible.)

 

[Mtnboomer]

No experience with this, but my initial reaction was concern for the chicks and remaining eggs. With 2 hens in the box, i would think the risk of cracking/crushing sn egg or injuring a young chick could be high. Just my initial thoughts.

 

[RIredlady]

Yea I totally understand that thought, but these two weirdos haven’t killed any chicks or broken eggs. From what I’m seeing (I put one of my security cameras in the coop out of curiosity) they are taking turns going out to eat and whatnot so I’m just letting it ride for now.

 

[Roli]

Yea I totally understand that thought, but these two weirdos haven’t killed any chicks or broken eggs. From what I’m seeing (I put one of my security cameras in the coop out of curiosity) they are taking turns going out to eat and whatnot so I’m just letting it ride for now.

Thats actually pretty interesting. Are they taking “shifts” sitting on all the eggs at once or are they dividing them up amongst them ?

 

[RIredlady]

They’re basically trading eggs back and forth and sharing the nesting box. They’re both there unless someone goes out to eat drink etc.

 

[centrarchid]

I would remove the Jersey Giant. She is not as far into her incubation cycle so will not be as reliable a parent. The Barred Rock will be able to provide chicks all they need.

Did all eggs start incubation at same time? If not you have added risk of late starting eggs not being incubated to hatch.

 

[RIredlady]

See thing is with that, it seems like the Jersey is the ring leader of the two and that the Barred Rock is the muscle. Both hens are doing what seems to be normal taking care of chick stuff except both tweedle dee and tweedle dingus decided they needed to share the clutch. Its just so weird because I've never seen anything like it.

 

[centrarchid]

See thing is with that, it seems like the Jersey is the ring leader of the two and that the Barred Rock is the muscle. Both hens are doing what seems to be normal taking care of chick stuff except both tweedle dee and tweedle dingus decided they needed to share the clutch. Its just so weird because I've never seen anything like it.

There is nothing normal / natural about hens co-parenting. I have seen it enough to know outcomes for chicks on average are not as good. The on average of multiple co-parented broods has produced a lower percentage of hatched eggs and lower percentage of hatched chicks surviving to point of weaning when compare to what a single hen does on average.

When hens happen to go broody together at same time odds are better for eggs hatching compared to more disparity between broody starts. Your hens did not go broody together this round.

 

[sealer39]

Maybe it’s a BR, JG thing. My ex had two hens of the same breeds as yours that co-parented. Worked out fine for them. They did it twice. The JG did the brooding and the BR took over with the chicks and protected them. Two of the chicks were a JG cross with an unknown roo. They turned out to be the biggest roosters I’ve ever seen.

 

[RIredlady]

I’m not a petsteader, but I also have a very very good idea of animal/bird mannerisms. So far what I’ve viewed the two hens are doing great together.

At this point separating either from the eggs will probably be worse than leaving them be.

it’s pretty different to watch. I feel that if it wasn’t natural these two chuckle heads wouldn’t agree to sit together. I know it’s definitely not normal, but I didn’t put them in the same box so I consider it their natural decision.