Several hens on nest

[Joe chick daddy]

Hi, I have 2, sometimes 3 hens laying on one nest. Should I separate the 3 hens and chicks from flock?

 

[chickens really]

Pick one Hen to raise the Chicks..Definitely not all 3..How many eggs?
I separate my Broody into a Brooder in my garage to hatch and introduce her when my Chicks are around 5 days old.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum, glad you joined.

I think you are saying you have three broody hens on one nest and they have eggs to hatch and that your question is whether or not to separate the hens and chicks that hatch from the flock. Or maybe, since it is sometimes two, sometimes three, do you have hens that are not broody laying eggs in the broody hen's nest. Could you please give us some more background so we can address your problem better.

I don't know how much experience you have with broody hens and them hatching eggs. Especially if it is your first time and you have multiple broody hens on the same nest I'd get down to one. As many years as I've been doing this I'd still get down to one to reduce the risks and possible complications of two or three broody hens on one nest. Some people have good luck with multiple broody hens but some don't.

Other hens will sometimes lay eggs in a broody hen's nest. If that is what is going on, then you have different options but you need to do something. Is that what is going on?

Some people let the hen incubate the eggs, hatch the eggs, and raise the chicks with the flock, never separating them. That's the way I do it. Others separate the hen and eggs/chicks for some or maybe all of these phases. We do these things differently for different reasons. Each way has its benefits, risks, and downsides. I don't consider any or them the only right way where every other way is wrong. It's basically just different ways to do it, though the way your coop and run are set up and your management techniques may make one way better for you. That's another reason I think it would help us respond if we knew more about what is going on.

 

[Joe chick daddy]

Hi, I have 2, sometimes 3 hens laying on one nest. Should I separate the 3 hens and chicks from flock?

Im not sure the number of eggs, I haven't disturbed them. I planned to separate them from the flock, just wasn't sure whether to put all 3 hens with chicks. thanks for your advice, I've chosen to keep the barred rock with the chicks as this is the second time she's gone broody. I am very new to this, it's great to be able to ask questions on here

 

[Joe chick daddy]

Welcome to the forum, glad you joined.

I think you are saying you have three broody hens on one nest and they have eggs to hatch and that your question is whether or not to separate the hens and chicks that hatch from the flock. Or maybe, since it is sometimes two, sometimes three, do you have hens that are not broody laying eggs in the broody hen's nest. Could you please give us some more background so we can address your problem better.

I don't know how much experience you have with broody hens and them hatching eggs. Especially if it is your first time and you have multiple broody hens on the same nest I'd get down to one. As many years as I've been doing this I'd still get down to one to reduce the risks and possible complications of two or three broody hens on one nest. Some people have good luck with multiple broody hens but some don't.

Other hens will sometimes lay eggs in a broody hen's nest. If that is what is going on, then you have different options but you need to do something. Is that what is going on?

Some people let the hen incubate the eggs, hatch the eggs, and raise the chicks with the flock, never separating them. That's the way I do it. Others separate the hen and eggs/chicks for some or maybe all of these phases. We do these things differently for different reasons. Each way has its benefits, risks, and downsides. I don't consider any or them the only right way where every other way is wrong. It's basically just different ways to do it, though the way your coop and run are set up and your management techniques may make one way better for you. That's another reason I think it would help us respond if we knew more about what is going on.

 

[Joe chick daddy]

Thanks for replying, I have divided my coop into 2 sections to keep new chicks separate from the flock. I thought about keeping them all together but didn't want to stop feeding lay pellets to the rest

 

[50-45-1]

Hi, I have 2, sometimes 3 hens laying on one nest. Should I separate the 3 hens and chicks from flock?

Sorry for my confusion, but are all the hens broody? Or are fresh eggs laid in the nezt daily?
If one of the hens are broody (stays on the eggs all night and day) how long has she been doing it?
Chicken eggs hatch around day 21, but if fresh eggs are laid in the nest daily then you have stagered batch. This will end badly in most cases with broody hens as she will abadon unhatched eggs to see to the needs of chicks hatched.
Are there chicks now? You mention chicks.
Yes, i separate my broodies to a brooding hutch. I move my broody to the hutch and put eggs i have collected under her at that time. All eggs are started at the same time so they hatch at the same time. I leave mom and chicks in hutch for two weeks. After 2 weeks i move broody and chicks back to the flock so broody mom does the flock intergration.
My chicks still get chick starter when placed back with the flock, as i place chick feeder under a slated crate with lower slats removed on 2 sides. Only the chicks are small enough to enter the crate and get the chick feed.
Below is a picture of the broody hutch i built from reclaimed lumber this spring.