She thinks she has chicks

[eggsrcool]

I have a light sussex hen, who I believe thinks she has chicks. She went broody earlier this year, but I didn't let her sit on eggs. Her sister meanwhile, sat on eggs and hatched out chicks. I had another hen (their mother) who was raising a chick, but she died. The first light sussex, who didn't brood, started to look after her. The other hen with chicks came off her eggs and went outside. The other hen started calling them all over for food when it was given. Both the hens started to look after the 2 chicks. They both have stopped laying. Sometime the chicks sleep under the real mother, and sometimes under the other. Does this mean they are both looking after the same chicks?

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I have two hens that brooded one pitiful little egg. They kept stealing it from each other. I figured the poor thing was dead and had no chance of hatching after the fierce battles it had endured. Plus they would both peroidically abandon the poor thing and I'd find it stone cold. One day it miraculously hatched while they were both on the nest. They both claimed it and proceeded to mother it. It happily zipped between them. Even though it is well past the weaning stage they are still tucking it under a wing and keeping a watchful eye on their baby. By all accounts the baby is happy, healthy and not near as neurotic as you would think.

Here it is with it's two mothers-

And sharing a branch with one mama-

Silly little chickens...