Sharing a nest

[Windus]

Anyone ever had 2 chickens incubating a nest of eggs?

I currently have 2 silkies who are both sitting on a nest of eggs, there is always at least one of them on the eggs, if one goes out to eat, the other tucks all the eggs under her until the other one comes back.

Hopefully it won't be a problem when they start hatching!

 

[pineapple416]

I don't think it should be a problem. I have never heard of this but it sounds adorable! Good luck! Let us know what happens when they hatch.

 

[bantamluv]

Lol! I thought I was the only one! My two mommas were bantam Cochins who shared a nestbox and did the same things as your two. This shouldn't be a problem. They will probably share the chicks, too! mine did. Good luck with them!

 

[lazy gardener]

I had a couple of hen Mallards who shared a nest. They hatched 24 of 26 eggs.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

The problem may be when or if jealousy rears its ugly head. In that case anything can happen and none of it is adorable.

 

[besorto]

My Australorps do that all the time Just gotta let them do their thing. 2 mothers are better than 1 when it comes to an army of chicks!

 

[chickencheeper]

Lol, 2 of my 6 chickens were nesting next to each other and when one laid an egg and left the nest the other chicken managed to steal it and bring it over to her side and nest on it! They even have a 3/4 wall in between them(only extends to about an inch or two from the front lip) i opened the door to check the nest and there was one still warm egg there and the other chicken next to it but I got distracted and left for a sec and when I opened it back up she was looking at me sheepishly and there was no egg in the open nesting box

 

[sylviethecochin]

Been there with a black australorp and a barred rock. I was a kid, so I didn't know that I was supposed to remove the extra eggs that the other chickens laid in the nest, and only two eggs hatched.

After that, both hens got along fine, patrolling the barnyard with their two peeps and being very unpleasant to any cat or hen that crossed them. No jealousy, no fighting over the peeps--they just co-mothered.