Hens setting on eggs

[GtheCajun]

I currently have three hens setting on eggs. My question is should I put the hens and chicks in the garage once they start hatching? And if so, should I also separate the hens from each other? Can the hens distinguish their own chicks?

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

How large is your flock?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Good questions but you don't get guarantees with behaviors of any living animal. Broody hens hopped up on the hormones that make them broody can be even more unpredictable. In your situation there are many different things that can possibly happen. No one can tell you what actually will happen for you.

Some of us let broody hens incubate, hatch, and raise the chicks with the flock, we don't isolate at all. Others isolate at different times. I never bother a broody hen during the actual hatch but others can't keep their hand out of there. There is no set way to do any of this. They all have their benefits and risks.

Many people let multiple broody hens incubate eggs in the same room on their own individual nests and have no problems whatsoever. I remember one photo where there were five different broodies, each in their own nests, in a bank of nests and the poster said they did that all the time with no issues. Those were with the flock, not isolated in a garage or somewhere else. So it is possible you can leave them where they are, do nothing, and things will be great. Each hen and her chicks will imprint on each other and they will raise their own.

Sometimes broody hens will fight over chicks or eggs. I had that happen once. A hen had just gone broody when another hen had eggs start to internal pip. When the chicks internal pip they start chirping, talking to the hen to let her know they are on the way. The new broody decided she wanted to take over that nest, they destroyed about half the eggs in that nest fighting. The same kind of thing can happen after the chicks hatch, one might decide she wants to adopt and fight the other hen for them. It's possible chicks can be hurt during this fight but if they are off the nest, probably not.

Sometimes in that situation instead of fighting the hens decide to work together to hatch and raise the chicks. That can happen early in incubation or anytime after. There are several cute photos on this forum of hens working together to hatch the eggs or take care of chicks.

I've never seen it but some people say one broody might try to kill another broody hen's chicks. This might be when they are sharing a nest and chicks hatch under the other broody, when they are in separate nests and a hen is hatching, or when they are out roaming with their own chicks. I don't know how common this actually is but it is possible.

No one can tell you what will actually happen with your chickens. We can tell you our experiences and what might possibly happen but with living animals you just don't know. As far as I am concerned there is no right way to do this where every other way is wrong. Good luck!

 

[Dammad]

I am dealing with a similar situation except I have one hen that hatched 6 of 9 eggs and gave up after 6. Luckily, I had a broody hen that refused to stop being broody and I gave her the last 3 eggs (they were added by my layers after we marked the first 6 and we had no idea when they would hatch). One week later, we have 2 new chicks and will see if she gives up on the 3rd. Now I have two sets of new chicks with 2 different hens that have to share a space in a netted off corner of the coop. The first hen is very friendly and her we can handle her chicks no problem. The second hen is very protective and we cannot touch her without resistance and her chicks are very skittish and afraid of us. I am hoping the two hens can successfully share a space together at night. All they have to do is sleep in the area. We are making separate boxes for them but it is still going to be a big question-mark. We think our chickens are too pampered and spoiled. I am sure they will work it out! To be determined.....

 

[GtheCajun]

Good questions but you don't get guarantees with behaviors of any living animal. Broody hens hopped up on the hormones that make them broody can be even more unpredictable. In your situation there are many different things that can possibly happen. No one can tell you what actually will happen for you.

Some of us let broody hens incubate, hatch, and raise the chicks with the flock, we don't isolate at all. Others isolate at different times. I never bother a broody hen during the actual hatch but others can't keep their hand out of there. There is no set way to do any of this. They all have their benefits and risks.

Many people let multiple broody hens incubate eggs in the same room on their own individual nests and have no problems whatsoever. I remember one photo where there were five different broodies, each in their own nests, in a bank of nests and the poster said they did that all the time with no issues. Those were with the flock, not isolated in a garage or somewhere else. So it is possible you can leave them where they are, do nothing, and things will be great. Each hen and her chicks will imprint on each other and they will raise their own.

Sometimes broody hens will fight over chicks or eggs. I had that happen once. A hen had just gone broody when another hen had eggs start to internal pip. When the chicks internal pip they start chirping, talking to the hen to let her know they are on the way. The new broody decided she wanted to take over that nest, they destroyed about half the eggs in that nest fighting. The same kind of thing can happen after the chicks hatch, one might decide she wants to adopt and fight the other hen for them. It's possible chicks can be hurt during this fight but if they are off the nest, probably not.

Sometimes in that situation instead of fighting the hens decide to work together to hatch and raise the chicks. That can happen early in incubation or anytime after. There are several cute photos on this forum of hens working together to hatch the eggs or take care of chicks.

I've never seen it but some people say one broody might try to kill another broody hen's chicks. This might be when they are sharing a nest and chicks hatch under the other broody, when they are in separate nests and a hen is hatching, or when they are out roaming with their own chicks. I don't know how common this actually is but it is possible.

No one can tell you what will actually happen with your chickens. We can tell you our experiences and what might possibly happen but with living animals you just don't know. As far as I am concerned there is no right way to do this where every other way is wrong. Good luck!

Thank you so much!

 

[GtheCajun]

How large is your flock?

13 hens, 1 rooster.

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

In your situation I’d guess I’d go with the wait and see. Try and monitor as much as possible and then separate if you start seeing issues

 

[GtheCajun]

In your situation I’d guess I’d go with the wait and see. Try and monitor as much as possible and then separate if you start seeing issues

Yes, I think that is what I’ll do. The only problem is that other hens will come lay in the nest when momma gets off to take a break. I think I have most of the original eggs marked, and I have been trying to pull out the spare ones.

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

I marked mine too, thankfully I’ve only found new eggs a couple of times. I currently have a small flock so the nesting boxes aren’t fought over

 

[varidgerunner]

If more than one broody hen is close together, sometimes when one has chicks start cheaping, another will leave her eggs prematurely, and then you have two hens fighting over chicks and they are getting squashed in the process while eggs a day away from hatching are cold. If you are lucky you end up with two hens co-raising two or three chicks. Some of them will kill a chick that didn't hatch out under them. Chicks will get confused and try to follow the wrong mother, who might see it as a threat to her chicks. Best to separate, or just use good free range broody hens that won't start a nest within another hens nesting zone. Eggsongs are for staking nesting territory, and seeing how many predators are in the area. That song will illicit a fight if there is a hen too close to another's nest, in chickens that haven't been extremely dumbed down by selective breeding. Staggering the hatching dates will help some.