new broody hen stealing clutch from other broody??

[greytmommy]

ok I have a CM that has been sitting on a clutch of 4 eggs for about 2weeks now.

today hubby went down there, and our banty cochin was sitting on the eggs in that nesting box, and the CM was in the next box over.

so we think when the CM got up to eat, the Cochin came and sat on the eggs. What should I do?? Can it wait for tomorrow?? (it is snowing SO hard right now, so I would rather stay inside where it is warm tonigt.)

thanks!

 

[PtldChick]

It can wait until morning, but I would separate them - they may try to steal from each other to the point the eggs get broken or left out in the cold. That happened with a woman I know - I provided eggs and a second bird went broody and they kept moving the eggs back and forth. The ones I really wanted to hatch got broken, and the others never hatched.

If you want to, give them both half of the eggs to sit on. That way you know they'll stop being broody once they hatch. They won't start laying right away, but you won't have to worry about them not eating and drinking enough once the chicks hatch.