Hens nesting together

[lbfdap21]

Hi all! My two hens have decided to go broody and are co-nesting. This will be my first time ever hatching eggs - do you guys foresee any issues with this? Any feedback on where the nest is/any changes I should make before (if) eggs hatch? I counted 25 eggs the other day.

 

[R2elk]

Sometimes it works okay but too often, multiple hens brooding on a single nest can cause broken eggs and crushed poults due to the jockeying for position.

 

[Huntmaster]

Does your Tom have access to the nest if so, I would keep him from being able to get at your hens on the nest. He will still try to mate with them damaging eggs and possibly hen. And besides what @R2elk has mentioned I have had trouble with eggs not getting fully covered at times getting between them or off to one side with the multiple hen nests as they are usually moving and trying to steal all the eggs for themselves. Then those chilled/bad eggs get moved back under and a different egg can get moved to the side chilling another I usually always have better hatch rates out of single hen nests.

 

[lbfdap21]

The tom does not go in the upper part of the coop.

Also, I just went to check the eggs while Eliza (one of the hens) was out in the pen and realized she’s not sitting on a nest, just Angelica is. I’m guessing Eliza doesn’t want to roost alone, so she’s been sleeping in the coop at night instead.

 

[Huntmaster]

The tom does not go in the upper part of the coop.

Also, I just went to check the eggs while Eliza (one of the hens) was out in the pen and realized she’s not sitting on a nest, just Angelica is. I’m guessing Eliza doesn’t want to roost alone, so she’s been sleeping in the coop at night instead.

25 eggs are uaslly too many for one hen to cover properly. Is Eliza still laying in the nest?

 

[lbfdap21]

She is. I just checked again and she has eggs underneath her now but I’m not sure if they are new. I am going to try to candle all the eggs tonight and then go from there. Technically, it looks like they made two nests, they are just right up against each other (e.g. there’s two separate indentations in the bedding).

 

[lbfdap21]

Just wanted to update you all - babies started hatching yesterday! I’ve kept an eye on the mamas since I last posted and they seemed to have figured out a good co-nesting arrangement so I didn’t want to move either nest and risk them rejecting it. It’s a bit chilly here right now so I haven’t counted how many have hatched yet. Most of the babies are going to my neighbor, but I’ll keep 2-4.

 

[lbfdap21]

So now my question is - what’s the best way to take the babies from mamas? Do I remove the mamas from the nest, gather whoever has hatched and then put mamas back? Do I wait for the hens to leave the nest?

 

[R2elk]

So now my question is - what’s the best way to take the babies from mamas? Do I remove the mamas from the nest, gather whoever has hatched and then put mamas back? Do I wait for the hens to leave the nest?

It depends on how tolerant the hens are of you. If they will tolerate you reaching into their nest and taking the poults, you can do it that way by reaching under them and carefully taking the poults.

It can be more complicated with two hens on the nest because poults can get trampled under too many moving feet.

My hens are not tolerant so I position the hen to be at my back as I grab poults. I also wear a jacket to prevent nasty bites to my arms. Mine will flog me as I take the poults which is why I keep them positioned behind me.

 

[lbfdap21]

It depends on how tolerant the hens are of you. If they will tolerate you reaching into their nest and taking the poults, you can do it that way by reaching under them and carefully taking the poults.

It can be more complicated with two hens on the nest because poults can get trampled under too many moving feet.

My hens are not tolerant so I position the hen to be at my back as I grab poults. I also wear a jacket to prevent nasty bites to my arms. Mine will flog me as I take the poults which is why I keep them positioned behind me.

They hissed a lot but didn’t actually attack me.