Official Squatch Watchers

[Suzi18]

Can I ask a Broody chicken question?
@pitbullmomma and all...

Is it safe to have two mother hens?
Will they not fight over the babies or other mothering duties?

I have a couple friends who have had great success with dual chicke mommas. They seem to share duties for all the babies. Now I'm not sure that is the norm but her chickens seem to do fine raising their chicks together

 

[apryl29]

As long as you don't have a turner in there and on it will be fine.
With my Broody Queen (who's at it again) I checked them all the time. I went out the morning of hatch and the first egg I got out was pipped and I was so excited!!! So I snuck it back under and went to grab another. I pulled out a chick! All fluffed up and walking around. I couldn't believe I missed it. Then a second one came out from under her. LOL Little stinkers like to hatch when no ones lookin.

Mine did the same thing. I expected an egg still and there was a chick.

He always lies, i think it amuses hubby for some warped reason.

LOL Your hubby could offer to go pick him up. I bet that'd go over real well w/ the guy.

Good morning!

One baby just hatched, under its two moms!

I went out to let the chickens out, and Fergus and Olive were sharing the nest and I heard a soft peeping!!! I gently moved them aside and the little fuzzy black (!!!) baby was half out of its shell, and as I watched, it came fully out and the two mamas carefully tucked her under them! From what I could see, the other two eggs are still intact.

It's raining and I had my headlamp on, so I couldn't see so great. But those feet are pink as could be. And there were four toes on the one I could see (I love newborn chick toes. They look like little worms). So obviously it is not pure Cemani--who knows what it is, so far!--but it is black. And my ACs are my only black birds. So it has to be part Lafayettte! It will be so exciting to see what they grow into!

I'm ridiculously excited for you! I second the request for pics when possible. Don't lose a finger doing it though.

Oh wow! I loved this story!
My mom had a cat like that. “Holly” hated everyone but her. She was rarely ever seen by other humans. And only given sporadic health care by a traveling vet *if my mom could lock the cat in the bathroom on the morning of the appointment...

Animals are so strange. My aunt has a weiner dog that hates everyone but her and her husband. She's their baby. We had a cat named Calvin who'd sit on the water heater by the back door and entice visitors to pet him just so he could attack them. He was the best cat ever. A friend from work has this calico that hates everyone. I was helping put in blinds at her house and got to close to the bed the cat was hiding under. She howled and hissed and scared me. But she likes my coworker.

Can I ask a Broody chicken question?
@pitbullmomma and all...

Is it safe to have two mother hens?
Will they not fight over the babies or other mothering duties?

Good question. I don't have any experience w/ it, but I would think it'd help the mamas b/c they could get up and go eat/ poo/ range for a little longer w/o worrying about leaving the eggs/ babies. Kinda like how penguins share responsiblities of caring for the chick. I know after Loki hatched her chick she looked horrible and absolutely done with everything, but I couldn't get her to leave the nest. I had to bring her food and water. Then after the baby disappeared she was right back on that nest trying to hatch more eggs. I can totally see how people have said they've lost broodies b/c of it.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

Can I ask a Broody chicken question?
@pitbullmomma and all...

Is it safe to have two mother hens?
Will they not fight over the babies or other mothering duties?

I think it would depend on the hens. If they sat together and have no issues with each other to start they would continue.

 

[staceyj]

I learn so much from you peeps!

 

[ronott1]

Good morning!

One baby just hatched, under its two moms!

I went out to let the chickens out, and Fergus and Olive were sharing the nest and I heard a soft peeping!!! I gently moved them aside and the little fuzzy black (!!!) baby was half out of its shell, and as I watched, it came fully out and the two mamas carefully tucked her under them! From what I could see, the other two eggs are still intact.

It's raining and I had my headlamp on, so I couldn't see so great. But those feet are pink as could be. An d there were four toes on the one I could see (I love newborn chick toes. They look like little worms). So obviously it is not pure Cemani--who knows what it is, so far!--but it is black. And my ACs are my only black birds. So it has to be part Lafayettte! It will be so exciting to see what they grow into!

I hope you get more to hatch!

 

[CapricornFarm]

Good morning!

One baby just hatched, under its two moms!

I went out to let the chickens out, and Fergus and Olive were sharing the nest and I heard a soft peeping!!! I gently moved them aside and the little fuzzy black (!!!) baby was half out of its shell, and as I watched, it came fully out and the two mamas carefully tucked her under them! From what I could see, the other two eggs are still intact.

It's raining and I had my headlamp on, so I couldn't see so great. But those feet are pink as could be. And there were four toes on the one I could see (I love newborn chick toes. They look like little worms). So obviously it is not pure Cemani--who knows what it is, so far!--but it is black. And my ACs are my only black birds. So it has to be part Lafayettte! It will be so exciting to see what they grow into!

Super yay!!!

 

[drumstick diva]

Silkies are inclined to share their broodiness.

 

[Chickassan]

Awww,little BBC babies are happening! The legend will live on!

Good morning!

One baby just hatched, under its two moms!

I went out to let the chickens out, and Fergus and Olive were sharing the nest and I heard a soft peeping!!! I gently moved them aside and the little fuzzy black (!!!) baby was half out of its shell, and as I watched, it came fully out and the two mamas carefully tucked her under them! From what I could see, the other two eggs are still intact.

It's raining and I had my headlamp on, so I couldn't see so great. But those feet are pink as could be. And there were four toes on the one I could see (I love newborn chick toes. They look like little worms). So obviously it is not pure Cemani--who knows what it is, so far!--but it is black. And my ACs are my only black birds. So it has to be part Lafayettte! It will be so exciting to see what they grow into!

 

[Chickassan]

Ok, so Marlene has been laying in a little corner of the coop. I caught her in her hidey hole today on top of seven flippin eggs! That could have been sooo bad.

 

[apryl29]

Ok, so Marlene has been laying in a little corner of the coop. I caught her in her hidey hole today on top of seven flippin eggs! That could have been sooo bad.

How'd she manage to hide that many w/o you getting suspicious.