Proven broody allowing a 5 month old hen to sit on her nest?

[Jenwysocki]

My best silkie mama just weaned her chicks a few weeks ago and has decided to sit again.
we usually separate our broodies into their own maternity coop to hatch and raise their babies but we are renovating the second coop and it is not usable currently. (We didn’t expect a broody again so soon)
Since she’s a good mama we are allowing her to sit but she’s with the flock in the common coop. She’s been sitting a bit over a week and today when she went to eat another hen (5 month old silkie we hatched in fall) went and sat in her nest and is acting broody. The original mama went back and is just sitting right next to her in the nesting box. Both look content. Should I leave them be?
Or should I put the original broody in a dog crate with eggs in my garage till Eggs hatch and other coop is done so that they don’t have to share the nest?
Or should I take both broodies out of main coop and put both together in dog crate?
or leave everyone alone as is? Lol

 

[Ridgerunner]

It is not unusual for other hens to lay in a broody's nest, whether the broody hen is off for her daily constitutional or even sharing the nest. That's why, when you let a hen incubate in with the flock you need to mark the eggs you want her to hatch and check every day to remove any new eggs.

Some people have no problems with two broody hens sharing a nest and even raising the chicks together. It's cute and it often works out OK. I don't do it though. Occasionally the two will fight over the eggs or the chicks. I've had eggs destroyed in those fights just as they started to hatch so I don't allow it.

It's your option how you do it but my suggestion is to separate them. Break one from being broody, isolate one and give both eggs, or whatever. I also would not let them try to raise their separate broods in the same area. They can possibly fight over the chicks too and chicks can be injured or killed. To me the risk is not worth it.

 

[HawaiiCoyote]

It is not unusual for other hens to lay in a broody's nest, whether the broody hen is off for her daily constitutional or even sharing the nest. That's why, when you let a hen incubate in with the flock you need to mark the eggs you want her to hatch and check every day to remove any new eggs.

Some people have no problems with two broody hens sharing a nest and even raising the chicks together. It's cute and it often works out OK. I don't do it though. Occasionally the two will fight over the eggs or the chicks. I've had eggs destroyed in those fights just as they started to hatch so I don't allow it.

It's your option how you do it but my suggestion is to separate them. Break one from being broody, isolate one and give both eggs, or whatever. I also would not let them try to raise their separate broods in the same area. They can possibly fight over the chicks too and chicks can be injured or killed. To me the risk is not worth it.

I wholeheartedly agree.
Wise words!

 

[Jenwysocki]

It is not unusual for other hens to lay in a broody's nest, whether the broody hen is off for her daily constitutional or even sharing the nest. That's why, when you let a hen incubate in with the flock you need to mark the eggs you want her to hatch and check every day to remove any new eggs.

Some people have no problems with two broody hens sharing a nest and even raising the chicks together. It's cute and it often works out OK. I don't do it though. Occasionally the two will fight over the eggs or the chicks. I've had eggs destroyed in those fights just as they started to hatch so I don't allow it.

It's your option how you do it but my suggestion is to separate them. Break one from being broody, isolate one and give both eggs, or whatever. I also would not let them try to raise their separate broods in the same area. They can possibly fight over the chicks too and chicks can be injured or killed. To me the risk is not worth it.

It seems I jumped the gun and the younger hen was just laying an egg. I’m moving my broody and her eggs to a rabbit hutch today.