Thoughts and tips on allowing hens to mother together?

[Kraemer7]

So I seem to have a infestation of broody in my flock. 3 hens and 1 duck! I only have 1 “maternity” crate that has been in use by another hen who hatched chicks about 3 weeks ago. She still uses it at night and takes her chicks out and about during the day. I’ve been moving the other hens daily, and tried blocking off nesting boxes but they just find new places to sit.
I’m thinking of getting some chicks to break them. Can I put 2 together in the crate? Will momma hen find a new place to sit at night?

 

[nchls school]

So I seem to have a infestation of broody in my flock. 3 hens and 1 duck! I only have 1 “maternity” crate that has been in use by another hen who hatched chicks about 3 weeks ago. She still uses it at night and takes her chicks out and about during the day. I’ve been moving the other hens daily, and tried blocking off nesting boxes but they just find new places to sit.
I’m thinking of getting some chicks to break them. Can I put 2 together in the crate? Will momma hen find a new place to sit at night?

If hens normally get along together without aggression, they usually do well with coparenting. Frequently, this happens with my free range flock when two mothers hatch at the same time. My two peahens are coparenting right now. Turkeys often coparent even when their poults are very different ages.

This works very well when both females are of equal standing in the flock; or at least close to equal.