Is it safe to house a broody with a Hen with new chicks?

[turtleshell]

I have heard that you should be careful having two hens together, both with chicks as one may kill the other's chicks but what about a broody sitting on eggs housed with a Hen with newly hatched chicks? Will the broody bother the chicks? I have a housing situation due to the timing of my new and larger chicken pen which my husband hasn't finished building. I had planned to use my old, smaller pen for the hen and her new chicks when they hatched but it is not looking like it will be available. This means that I will have to leave her in the area where she is currently separated to while sitting on eggs and I now have another broody which I need to separate, ideally in the area that the one about to hatch is in. Follow me................

 

[lauralou]

This is a tricky situation because every broody hen is different. That makes it hard to predict what will happen.

I can tell you some of the experiences I have had with my broody hens. I have 2 hens that are on the same brooding schedule, and I always have them brood together. I normally split a dozen eggs between them. They have separate broody houses, but are kept in the same pen. It works out great with those two ladies. They share responsibilities, and make an excellent team.

Then one time I had several broodies hatching together, again in separate broody houses, like little doghouses, but all in the same pen. One hen was simply awful! She beat up all the other hens and stole their babies. It was the saddest thing! Not only was there blood and feathers everywhere, there were some sad and forlorn hens who desperately wanted their babies back, but weren't tough enough to take them. I ended up putting the most docile hen in broody jail and breaking her of her broodiness, then separating out the other hen and giving her some of the babies. I have no idea if they were her original babies or not, but she didn't care.

So, I've never had a broody hen try to harm another broody's babies. But that doesn't mean it can't happen, just that it's never happened here. One idea that I can think of is this: When your broody that is currently sitting hatches her eggs, you might move them into some sort of a dog crate for a few days. That would give the hen and chicks time to bond, and also give the chicks time to get steady on their feet, in case they need to run away from the other mother hen. Also, the other hen would have a chance to get used to the idea of another set of chicks in her area.

If you have no place to separate the two mothers, then that's just the way it is. So be watchful at first, and try to think of what you will do if things turn ugly. It's possible that they won't. Sometimes it works out well. Like with my Sugar and Blondie, the amazing broody duo. I love having them raise chicks together. But it really all depends on the personalities of the hens in question.

Good luck!

 

[Terri O]

I can tell you what happened in my coop too. I had two broodies on eggs. I usually just let them hatch the babies and then go about their business. I was only looking for babies that would eventually lay not for purebreds. So the first broody hatched her eggs and everything was fine for a day or so. Then for some reason she went in with the one that still had eggs. The two of them cam out the next day with the origional babies and let the other nest die. For the life of me I couldnt get either hen to take the eggs and I dont have a bator...so I lost that clutch entirely. The two hens cared for all the chicks togetherand raised all thirteen. Go figure....I guess she just couldnt wait to be a Mom...Terri O in WI

 

[lishah2000]

I never have problems in the banty coop. I've had two hens sit on the same eggs and raise the chicks together. I kept trying to split them up, but they wouldn't have it. Right now I have two with 3 week olds and one with some just a few days old. No problems and the other hens in the pen have been fine.

I do find things go better if I put them in a cage for the hatch and the first few days. Usually the hens use the cages to sleep in until the babies are on their own.

I've never had any luck with hatches in the big coop. Last time I tried I ended up moving the eggs mid-hatch and chicks, and putting them under two hens in the banty coop. They had only been broody for a week, but took right over and did the job.

So it depends on the other hens. I only keep the hens good with babies in the banty coop. Some are larger birds, but good broodies.

 

[turtleshell]

Thanks for your stories and suggestions everyone. Mine will be 3 weeks apart, I will receive fertile eggs for the 2nd broody the same day the first broody hatch. I took over my kids cubby house for the first broody as I had no where else to seperate her to and that has been where she has been sitting since. I thought I would leave her and her chicks in there for the first few days and then let her decide whether or not she wants to then take them in the big pen (gee I hope he gets it finished soon) or if she chooses to take them back into the cubby house. The only problem that I can see with this is that I would have to leave the cubby house open for her which means the 2nd broody could get out. (I had trouble with the first broody wanting to go back to her original nest for some time). I could leave the 2nd broody in her usual hen house but it is very crowded while waiting for their new house and at night some of the others climb in with her which I didn't think was good for the eggs.

Oh well, guess I will work something out as it is only 4 days away. X fingers.

Michelle