Is This Normal?

[Sarah1711]

I have been having some broody hen problems and was wondering if anyone can help. I have had Charlie the rooster and these two hens since November. The first week we had then one hen went broody. At that time we had not seen any mating activity so assumed the 2 eggs the hen was laying on were probably not fertile. After a period of time the eggs started to smell so we pushed her off the nest. I was going to order fertile eggs for her to sit on but Xmas happened and I wasn't sure if she would still be broody so didn't order them. Last week she was back in the nesting box. The eggs have been produced by the other hen that keeps laying an egg in the box everyday.

Now the other hen has decided she wants to sit on eggs and both are sitting on the same eggs. 2 are bought shop eggs and there are 4 of the eggs that she produced! Is it me or is this strange behaviour? If the eggs are fertile, which could well be the case, as Charlie has done the deed a few times now! My question is this - should we separate the hens? What will happen if we don't and the eggs hatch? Should we put the first hen in a different housing. The poor rooster is fed up as he's on his own now and is perching in the hen house watching them! Crazy chickens.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Crazy chickens indeed. It's often a trip dealing with living animals. You never know what to expect.

There are several things you could do. What I'd suggest is that you break one of them from being broody and let the other try to hatch the eggs. That way you get one back to laying eggs and the rooster has someone to play with. This thread my help you break one.

Break a Broody Thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2176186#p2176186

Sometimes hens work together raising chicks but sometimes they fight over them and it just doesn't work out. They are living animals and you really can't tell for sure what will happen, but I'd try to break one from being broody. I think that is the least risky way to go.

Good luck!