Sometimes broody hens can raise their own chicks when other broody hens also have chick in that area. Lots of people do that and don't have problems. Some have two or more broody hens hatch on the same nest and raise the chickens together without issues. But I had two broody hens fight over a nest of eggs that had just started to hatch, they destroyed half the eggs. Both hens wanted those babies and were not willing to share.
Sometimes a hen wants to take over raising all the babies, not just hers, even when there is an age difference in the chicks. The other hen will fight to keep her babies. I think that is what you are seeing.
I suspect if you let them fight it out one hen will probably wind up raising all the chicks. Will some of the hens get seriously injured or killed in that fighting? Maybe, maybe not. Will a chick be injured as an innocent bystander in that fighting? Maybe, maybe not. I haven't seen any hen or chick get injured (other than those hatching eggs) in those fights but it could certainly happen. How hard would you fight to protect your babies?
So what can you do? Let them fight it out and see what happens. Or keep them separated until the hens wean their chicks. I don't know when that will be. I've had broody hens wean their chicks as young as 3 weeks, I've had some go almost to three months. You could even try to take the babies away from one hen and give them to another and break the first one from being broody. Personally I would not rehome any over this. It will pass.
Sometimes a hen wants to take over raising all the babies, not just hers, even when there is an age difference in the chicks. The other hen will fight to keep her babies. I think that is what you are seeing.
I suspect if you let them fight it out one hen will probably wind up raising all the chicks. Will some of the hens get seriously injured or killed in that fighting? Maybe, maybe not. Will a chick be injured as an innocent bystander in that fighting? Maybe, maybe not. I haven't seen any hen or chick get injured (other than those hatching eggs) in those fights but it could certainly happen. How hard would you fight to protect your babies?
So what can you do? Let them fight it out and see what happens. Or keep them separated until the hens wean their chicks. I don't know when that will be. I've had broody hens wean their chicks as young as 3 weeks, I've had some go almost to three months. You could even try to take the babies away from one hen and give them to another and break the first one from being broody. Personally I would not rehome any over this. It will pass.
