hens sharing a clutch of eggs

[r_gshellhammer]

i have a mixed flock of 14 birds
my #1 in the pecking order and #4 inthe pecking order r sharing a clutch of egg when #1 jumps out #4 jumps in
now #1 tolerates #4 sitting for awhile then #4 jumps out and #1 goes back
only every once in a while #1 will chase #4 out of the box but mostly friendly
my question is this normal or not?

 

[tuesdays chicks]

I don't know how normal it is but I have 2 on a nest now both bantam, but they share it and the eggs, I think you may have more problems with yours if they squabble over the nest, you can get broken eggs or injured chicks later but I asked a similar question last week, and its amazing how many actually do share nests and chicks, I haven't got a hierarchy in my small flock no number 1 bird, My BO hen thinks she is but she only uses 1 leg and they don't listen to her, I separated the 2 broodies into the old coop because she was laying her eggs in their nest and then I had to disturb them to get the egg, friday is day 21 for me and luckily I have a 5 day weekend starting thursday if you want I'll let you know if the chicks hatch and how they are about sharing the chicks.

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

This can be very normal depending on the temperament of the hens. When more than one hen goes broody then it is a quiet battle for who will set the eggs. This summer we had three girls setting on one nest. These were large fowl girls. One would set on the nest and the other two would set right out side the nest box until it was their turn. They did really well without fighting. There was 11 eggs in the nest and only one hatched. That was a heavily mothered chick. They all watched after the chick and if there was any threat then they would circle around the chick to keep it safe. It was really amazing to watch those three girls work in harmony to raise the one chick. At four weeks, the youngest hen gave up and went on her way. At six weeks the other two hens seperated themselves from the chick. Unfortunately this chick was a little roo and so he went to a different local farm where he is still doing good.

 

[tuesdays chicks]

well my original broody stopped being broody now she's molting, I took her out of the nest and pen tonight, and took 4 of the eggs and put them back into incubator might be too late I don't know how damaging it really is for the eggs to get cool the last 3 days, but the other pullet can't sit all 8 eggs and at this rate I will be lucky if any hatch, its 98..9 degrees under my pullet and 76 humidity, so the shared momma nest is no more, I guess she decided she was sitting that nest for more then 25 days and she gave up. I didn't think they could count but she was broody for a week before I managed to get the eggs, maybe the other 1 will have a pleasant surprise when the eggs hatch premature for her lol.